Understanding What It Means to Love
by TrappedBeat
Summary: Atobe thought Matt was a kitten he could play with. Oshitari refused to be strung along Tenka's games. Sanada believed romance was nonsense until he met Tatsuya. It wasn't easy continuing on their normal lives when three transfer students with burdens of their own entered their lives. Romance was the last thing on all of their minds. (Yaoi, crude language, & mature scenes later on)
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Three boys stood in front of the charred foundation of a middle school they once attended together. They could still smell the remnants of smoke. A gloomy aura hung over the three as they relived their time here. They weren't sad for leaving the school; they were sad for the future ahead of them.

"L-Looks like I'll be going to a different school than you guys…" spoke one of the boys, finally breaking the silence. "I'm going to miss you guys…"

"We'll at least be in the same prefecture, Tatsuya." The taller of the two said while attempting to imagine how the building was before the fire. "You're going to Rikkaidai, and we'll be at Hyoutei."

He nodded his head to show he remembered. "I'll visit if I can." He glanced at the boy who hadn't spoken a word since they got here. "…Matt, aren't you sad?"

"Not really… you know I only bothered attending because you all made me." The shortest boy had shaken his head, his bangs falling over his eyes. "The only memory I'll get out of this place was meeting you two, but other than that, I'm glad we're out of here."

"Y-Yeah…" Tatsuya scratched at his cheek and slumped. He still couldn't help but feel pained that they would be departing. The fact that he would be attending another school alone meant he was back to the same lonely kid he was. He was terrified of meeting and opening up to people.

Matt again spoke, "At least you're not going with this asshole." He jabbed a thumb at the taller one. "I can't believe you chose that academy for a precious childhood friend, Tenka."

The referred to asshole rolled his eyes. Normally, he'd be fine handling Matt's comments, but today he wasn't in the mood. He didn't like having to move to another school either. It meant rebuilding his reputation and hiding his secrets from more people. "He's a decent friend… once you get passed the narcissism. Besides, you don't make any friends, so I got to make them for you."

"You don't even like some of the friends you make."

"Are you confusing them with the crazy fans I have?"

"With how you treat them, I can't tell who your friend is and who isn't."

"G-Guys…" Tatsuya got between them, forced to be the mediator. "I thought you two s-settled your differences… why… why are you both so tense as of now?"

His point had been made and absorbed by his two friends. They both muttered apologies and sighed heavily. Tatsuya was right about their tension. Standing in front of the school that gave them hell wasn't exactly a heart-warmer. They only came to give their farewells to Tatsuya.

"I'm going home. See you once we're all settled in, Tatsuya." declared Matt, who left before either could stop him. He hated being reminded of the past for that meant he had to start anew.

_Author's Note: All right, I've had this account for a few years and haven't posted anything until today. Well… I technically posted a story but that was taken down because I just didn't know where I was going with it. And my writing at the time sucked in my opinion._

_So, here's my new story, and I hope to keep it up although college is coming up. I have written more chapters, so I won't fall behind._

_This is a Prince of Tennis fanfiction although it seems like there isn't much reference to the series except for the school names. I actually wasn't sure if I should make a prologue, but since there will be different settings, I felt the need to write one._

_As a disclaimer, some of the characters mentioned are my OCs (so far, Tenka, Matt, and Tatsuya), but I do not own any of the characters that reside from Prince of Tennis._

_Okay, enough words from me, I hope you all enjoy reading this. I don't mind reviews. They're not an obligation for anyone who simply wanted to read a story. Criticism is fine as long as it's constructive, but please tell me if I make any grammatical or spelling errors. I'd appreciate knowing what mistakes I may have made._


	2. Chapter 1 - Hyoutei

_**Hyoutei**_

**1**

Matt stared down at the uniform in his hands. The emblem of Hyoutei Academy stuck out the most to him. He was now a student there. And in a few days, he would be attending. This had to be the fourth middle school he would be joining. He was expelled from the other two, and the other one was burned down. Hopefully, he would make it through this year before entering high school. Of course, it was hard being optimistic.

He came to a stop when he realized he had lost his way and ended up at a public tennis court place. Although it was winter, there were still people playing. At least, it wasn't snowing for them.

"_Ano_…" He asked a pair of resting players, "Can you point me in the right direction?"

One of them looked happy enough to oblige until he saw the blazer in his hand, recognizing the emblem. His gaze smoldered. "You're from Hyoutei, aren't you?"

A blink of the eyes and he nodded slowly. In the other male's eyes, he saw pure contempt. So what if he went to that private academy?

"Sorry, we don't help trash like you." He waved him off and ignored him.

Matt growled. Already, he wasn't accepted, and it wasn't his fault this time! "Want to start a fight?"

"_Yamete_!" A female ran over to them. She immediately scolded the two players, "He's only asking for directions!" Then she turned to Matt. At first, she was surprised by his silver hair, but other than that, he didn't seem overconfident like those of Hyoutei. "Sorry, I can help you."

"You shouldn't be helping him, An-chan." The other male spoke, glaring at Matt. "Anyone from Hyoutei is not welcome here."

Other tennis players who had overheard their conversation joined in as well. Many yelled at Matt to get the hell out of here and never return. Their words only angered the boy further. This sort of situation wasn't new to him, but it sure as hell pissed him off when he was being driven away for something he didn't even know about. He hadn't even been to school yet!

"Ahn? Bullying one of my own? Do the weak have no shame?" A smooth voice spoke above the angry crowd of players.

An's hands clenched tightly as the newcomer and his friend approached. It was clear that she knew who they were along with the rest of the players. Matt was watchful as well and could tell from the male's stride that he was arrogant and saw the others before him beneath him. It was safe to assume he was from Hyoutei as well. The tennis jersey was more than enough proof.

The male gazed upon the silver-haired boy, an amused smile on his lips. He had been informed of transfer students over the holidays. Most likely, the boy in front of him was one of them. For a boy, he was slender and not as tall as him. His silver eyes were round and large too. And despite the angry look, they gave him an innocent quality. If it wasn't for his messy hair, he would have mistaken him for a female.

Matt continued studying the purple-haired male. His hair was flicked out in a messy, yet uniform manner; most likely, it was supposed to be attractive. In a sense, it was like his own hairstyle, except he didn't intentionally style it. It was as it was. The amused smirk suggested a playful attitude, but also mocking. In conclusion, the male was another play boy.

He didn't forget the bulky male in the back. His eyes were blank though watchful. Probably just a lackey for the arrogant one…

"I'm not 'one of your own'. I'm from your academy. That's as far of an association as you'll get." He sighed, wondering why he bothered with corrections. "Can someone just tell me how the fuck do I get home?" He waved a paper around with his address written on it, clearly frustrated.

"What a crude tongue…" The male merely remarked. "You're as temperamental as a cat."

"…forget it." Matt turned away and made his way down the stairs. It seemed like no one would be helping him.

"Wait, _neko-chan_."

A hand grabbed his shoulder, and Matt was forced to look into the arrogant bastard's dark eyes.

"Allow me to call a limo for you."

"Nope," responded the silver-haired boy bluntly. "I'd rather walk. I don't care if you're being kind because we're from the same school, and I don't like owing favors to someone like you. My name isn't '_neko-chan_' either." Again, he wondered why he bothered talking so much.

He shoved his hand off and went towards the nearest shop, his messy hair bouncing as he walked.

Chuckling, the smooth-voiced male watched as the lost kitty ran away. It seemed like he had found a new toy.

Once winter break passed on, Hyoutei Gakuen Academy resumed its term. The well-kept halls were filled with students at lunch, actively speaking to each other about their vacation. But their conversations came to an abrupt stop when they noticed the two transfer students walking past. The subject immediately shifted to their appearances. They were cute.

A third-year with crimson hair and another third-year with silver hair advanced down the hallway. They hardly paid much mind to the people's gazes for it was a normal experience for the both of them.

The boy with silver hair took more interest in the clean hall. "…looks just like new, although the school's been around for awhile. Seems like there's a big benefactor in all of this."

The boy beside him chuckled. "Keigo Atobe… he's a third-year like us and the 'big benefactor' you're referring to, Matt. He's quite popular."

"Didn't you two know each other back in England, Tenka? From how you described him before, he's a big of an ass as you are." He spoke frankly while putting his hands behind his head. Some girls they passed by kept referring to Atobe as some other title while making comparisons to Tenka. "He's called king around here too."

"Ever since he got defeated in tennis once, he's done nothing but aim for the top. I guess even now, he still intends to rise up as king." Tenka somehow found it refreshing despite how boastful the quest was. Although they were only kids when they met, it seemed admirable that Atobe didn't give up. Even at his age, he had met too many people who gave up too early or for the stupidest reasons.

Matt noticed the nostalgic look in his friend's red-violet eyes. It had to be nice reuniting with someone from childhood. Unlike Tenka, he didn't have friends from the past. He had some, but they quickly forgot about him and for good reason too. He wasn't someone people wanted around.

Shaking himself out of his daze, he continued to gaze outside. The academy's courtyard was somewhat crowded with people eating their lunch. But there were a few stone benches, and those were what he cared about. Empty and wide enough for him to lie down, one would be good for a quick nap.

"Yeah, yeah, ignore what I just said while thinking about sleep." The redhead sounded offended while pointing out what was on the boy's mind. If he wasn't in a good mood, he'd scold him more. "Just go ahead. I'll catch up with you later. I'm going to find Atobe."

A smile flashed on his face at the chance given to him. It annoyed him when Tenka acted pouty whenever he was ignored, but he wasn't making a fuss for once. "See you in after school."

He dashed ahead for the nearest exit, clumsily dodging people and ducking under arms. When he was blocked or got impatient, he'd perform a front flip, nearly losing his footing. The boy really was too eager to sleep. It caused such a spectacle, much to Tenka's displeasure. As clumsy as he was, he somehow didn't knock anyone over. And the boy wasn't a show-off, but he knew how to appear as one. Sometimes, he wondered if he intentionally appeared clumsy so no one would notice his actual athleticism. He didn't see the purpose in hiding it.

Up on the roof, a third-year cried out excitedly, "Did you see that?! He jumped over those guys and fell asleep on the bench!" His finger was pointing at the now dozing silver-haired boy, and he smiled. "He likes to sleep as much as I do! Eh? What's wrong, Mukahi?"

The acrobat appeared disinterested in the boy, tossing his head to the side. "So what? He's just showing off. He has no idea that there's someone better than him at acrobatics. And stop pointing, Jirou!"

A chuckle came from the blue-haired doubles partner. "Should we test it out then, Mukahi?"

"No need. He's nothing special, Yuushi."

Hiyoshi simply stayed silent and watched his_ senpai _converse. He too saw the display Matt performed but didn't feel like joining in. People-watching was much more entertaining.

Jirou frowned and wondered what got him on the defensive. Then his attention immediately went on Choutarou. "Ootari-kun, look, look! He has silver hair like you!"

The second-year was at a loss for words. He didn't understand what exactly was excitable about having similar hair color. Then again, he rarely understood what got Jirou excited for anything. Still, he respected his _senpai's_ words and nodded his head, a polite smile crossing his face. "It is a lot like mine."

"Would be lame to find out his hair is dyed." Ryou Shishido commented. He hadn't seen the boy, but he figured it was dyed. Not many people had real hair like Choutarou's.

"Calm down, Jirou." The commanding voice of Keigo Atobe ordered. His attempt at eating his lunch peacefully never succeeded with Jirou up and about. "For someone who wants to sleep, he seems reckless. Isn't that right, Kabaji?"

"Usu." The tallest male nodded obediently.

"But _buchou_, he looks like one of the transfer students! I heard about him from some girls. No one recognized him when he came in during lunch."

"Again, nothing special." Mukahi said, once again on the defensive. It seemed likely that he was jealous of the new kid's skills and the fact that someone could easily perform flips consecutively.

Deciding he should humor his fellow team, Atobe took a look at the boy down below. Immediately, he recognized his silver hair. It was the boy from last week. He hadn't expected to find him so soon. Even from the roof, his toy still appeared to be a lost kitten.

"Perhaps we should welcome him to Hyoutei."

"Wh-What?!" The acrobat exclaimed. Just what was so interesting about the kid?

"Just when I was getting comfortable… how lame…" Shishido sighed and got on his feet. Why they always had to be dragged around by Atobe, he didn't know.

Together, the regulars of the Hyoutei tennis team approached the sleeping Matthew. At first, they weren't sure how they should wake him up, but before they could come to a decision, a playful voice spoke behind them.

"Ahh, I wouldn't do that. You don't want to find out the hard way why either."

Atobe, recognizing the voice, turned and smiled. "Good to see you again, Tenka."

The redhead smile right back. "Nice seeing you too, Atobe. What's it like being king around here?"

"Ahn, I'm surprised you asked. As I recall, you were never interested in being one."

The other regulars shared confused looks with each other. Who was this? They didn't recognize Tenka, so they assumed he was the other transfer student. But it seemed like Atobe and Tenka knew each other before.

"Nah, nah, I'm only being curious." Tenka walked around them and stopped in front of Matt, his back to the sleeping boy. "Anyway, you really shouldn't try waking him up. He's a bit… cranky when you don't wake him up right."

"Mind showing us then?" Oshitari inquired, studying Tenka carefully. Something about his light-hearted tone made him uneasy.

A smirk curled on his lips and he chuckled. "Actually, I don't know it either. But I can wake him up so you could meet him. I suggest you all step back though. It'd be a sad sight seeing your pretty face damaged." He gave the blue-haired male a wink before turning towards Matt.

He was right about feeling uneasy. Somehow, Tenka and Atobe shared certain qualities, but still differed as well. No wonder they were friends before.

Once everyone stepped back a few feet, Tenka raised his hand and brought it down on Matt's face. But the slap never followed through for Matt had grabbed his wrist and stopped it. In an instant, Matt pulled Tenka over him, but Tenka was expecting it. He landed on his hands and flipped back onto his feet, the smile still on his face.

"See? He almost succeeded in throwing me."

Matt groaned and sat up, rubbing his tired eyes. "Oh, shut up, Tenka. You already knew I would throw you. A simple shake of my shoulder would have sufficed."

"What the hell…?" Shishido muttered under his breath and couldn't believe what he saw. Matt was scrawny, seriously. He was about the same height as Mukahi and he still managed to throw someone bigger than him single-handedly?

Choutarou gulped and fidgeted with his hair nervously. A mental note was made: don't try waking Matt up.

"Hm…" Atobe didn't make any remark and remained silently, his brilliant eyes on the silver-haired boy. The boy was becoming more and more interesting to look at.

Walking up to the boy until their eyes met, he asked, "Did you have a nice nap, _neko-chan_?"

_Author's Note: Just some points about my writing. I have a habit of putting foreign words in italics. Also, I used to write in first-person, and now switching to, what I think is third-person omniscient point of view. I'm a little rusty on this, so if there's confusion, I apologize for the sudden jumps from character to character. It's not much easier trying to write when all of the characters are male. So my writing might seem a bit repetitive. There are so many ways you can refer to a single male… yes, that was sarcasm._

_I forgot to mention in the prologue that the Prince of Tennis characters' appearances are how they are in the anime as opposed to the manga. In a sense, I'm mixing both the manga and the anime, so hopefully, there won't be too much confusion._

_Anyway, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Stay tuned for more!_


	3. Chapter 2 - Hyoutei

_**Hyoutei**_

**2**

"_Neko-chan_?" Tenka raised a questioning brow at Atobe. Sure, Matt had some characteristics of a cat (flexibility, preference for solitude, sleeping, preference for seafood, short-tempered, etc.), but to be called "little kitty" was… strange. Scratch that, it wasn't strange anymore when he saw the murderous look on Matt's face. In fact, the expression was priceless. He couldn't help but crack up. "How cute, Matt, you have a pet name already."

Matt growled and glared at him, just as murderous as he was towards Atobe. Swiftly, he swiped at Tenka, but was unsuccessful. His punch only hit air while Tenka was a step back.

"Calm down, kitty." Tenka teased and smiled.

"Isn't that the pet name Atobe usually gives to girls?" Mukahi asked his doubles partner.

Oshitari nodded his head, focused more on the scene unfolded before them. What a strange pair… Tenka and Matt…

"A pet name for _girls_…?" Matt grabbed Atobe's collar before anyone could react and came face to face with the smirking bastard. "Look here, pretty boy. I'm nothing like the typical fan girls you got around here. And stop calling me _neko-chan _already."

Unfazed by his rough behavior, Atobe smoothly responded, "You didn't tell me your name last time, so I had no choice. You did appear as a lost kitty."

A fist was raised but Tenka grabbed him and pulled him off the bench. "Oi, oi, don't fight, Matt! It's the first day! And he's Keigo Atobe! Calm down!" He made sure his arms were locked under Matt's arms so he couldn't use his fists any longer.

"This isn't the first time I met him! And I don't care if he's your childhood friend!" Matt thrashed in Tenka's strong arms. "I should have damaged his pretty face the first time!"

"Fighting's not good!" Jirou appeared in front of the struggling Matt and Tenka. His innocent expression was filled with sadness and concern. "Here, maybe some sweets will help!" He held a box of Pocky in Matt's eyes. He always had one since the girls around campus were nice enough to give him one although he wasn't sure why.

"Don't be stupid, Jirou. How is a box of Pocky going to-?" Shishido stopped midsentence when Matt stopped thrashing.

"…is that strawberry?" asked the boy. There was no indication of anger in his face or his voice. Instead, he sounded almost as innocent as Jirou.

Tenka smirked and was grateful for Jirou's intervention. The guy probably didn't know Pocky was Matt's addiction and one of the few things that distracted him from whatever pissed him off. He released his friend and went over to Atobe's side.

Low enough for only Atobe to hear, he said, "I guess I'm not the only one who finds him amusing. When'd you two meet?"

"Last week. He couldn't find his way home." He replied. His eyes gazed upon the boy intently. The transformation into someone so innocent was quite impressive. Admittedly, Matt was acting adorable while staring at the box. "His name?"

"Matthew Fatale."

"Yup!" Jirou answered and handed the pink box to Matt. "You like Pocky too?"

The silver-haired boy nodded his head, somewhat sheepishly. He wasn't going to admit out loud that he was completely addicted to the snack. And strawberry was his favorite flavor. "Thanks…"

"No problem!" The happy third-year smiled, glad that there was no more conflict. "I'm Jirou Akutagawa!"

"Matt…"

His smile widened into a grin, and he ran back to Atobe. "I like him! Can he eat lunch with us tomorrow?"

The entire tennis team reacted to his naïve question. They couldn't believe his request. Then again, it was Jirou. The poor airhead seemed to have no understanding of what just happened. Did he not see the violent actions towards both his friend and their captain?

Atobe chuckled, finding this a great opportunity to play with the boy some more. "Of course, Jirou, he can join us." His eyes weren't on the boy in front of him, but on Matt as he spoke.

Matt glared right back and was about to refuse until Jirou showed his excitement. His eyes softened at the innocence of the third-year. He figured one lunch wouldn't hurt. Besides, he got Pocky.

"Fine, I'll come along." He tore open the box and packaging, starting on his first stick.

"Tenka, you can join us as well." Atobe looked to his childhood friend.

"I look forward to it." The redhead flashed a grin, quite glad that both he and Matt were attending Hyoutei. Despite what just happened, he figured Matt needed a change of pace. Instead of someone who openly hated him, he needed people who would accept him.

Throughout the rest of the day, Matthew did his best to force his second encounter with Keigo Atobe from his head. That would have been easily accomplished by sleeping through periods if it wasn't for the people who kept talking to him. Someone would mention once in awhile about lunch and ask about their confrontation. No one was unaware of it and some were already wary of him. But some quickly learned that he was kind after he helped some people with their math during sixth period.

Unfortunately for the silver-haired boy, Atobe was also in the same class as him. At least he didn't have to see his face. Atobe sat in the first seat up front.

"Matt-kun, are you part Japanese?" A girl asked curiously. The teacher was finished with their lesson and allowed them to talk until the bell rang.

He nodded his head. "I'm only half. I'm also half-American."

Many of the girls who gathered around his desk exclaimed, impressed. Foreigners around their campus were rare and they liked to know what sort of cultures each one lived in. Well, that was part of their impressed looks. They simply couldn't get enough of Matt's cute face.

Matt didn't like the attention, but over the years being the new cute kid, he grew used to it. In class, he had nowhere to run either unless it was after class where he'd bolt out the door. He answered whatever questions came his way. Most of them were about his time in America where he stated he lived in as a child. Some questions were about Tenka though, since the same girls had an attraction for the smirking redhead.

While the boy's attention was taken by the girls, Atobe stayed in his seat, his eyes closed, and listened in. It annoyed him at first when all the attention was on Matt. He was the one typically surrounded by females. But when he listened to Matt speak, he let it slide. Hearing a little something about the boy was interesting for him. He did notice the slight diversions from his personal life though, especially his family.

"Why do you sleep so much, Matt-kun?" inquired another female. "You're just like Jirou and I heard he sleeps in every class!"

"Ah… well…" Matt hesitated on his answer and started rubbing the side of his arm, a habit he picked up whenever he was nervous. "Let's just say I get night terrors sometimes."

Many of the females cried out their worries and gave him advice while they were at it.

Atobe had turned towards the boy, for his response was oddly haunting. Gazing on the still fidgeting silver-haired boy, he saw that his head was bowed, his bangs obscuring anyone from seeing his eyes. But he could tell from the distinct frown that his admittance hurt. It seemed as though these night terrors were much more serious than what the girls were seeing it as.

Meanwhile in the sixth period class of Yuushi Oshitari, the blue-haired male watched Tenka receive attention from many of the females. He found himself constantly observing the redhead although a romance novel was in need of being read. The wink from lunch still unnerved him and he learned that, like Atobe, he was boastful and proud of his achievements. And he couldn't help but perk up to his romantic endeavors. In comparison to the novels and films he watched with couples staying together for eternity, he found Tenka's endeavors to be short-lived. It seemed like the redhead couldn't stay with one girl.

Once the class was dismissed, Oshitari packed up the novel he couldn't read and headed out the door. He was left wondering who Tenka and Matt really were. The uneasy feeling in his chest suggested that there was something more. After witnessing Matt's attempt to throw Tenka, it showed that they were physically in shape. Sure, experts in martial arts weren't uncommon among his peers, but there was a mystery surrounding them. Why would Matt need to flip someone while he slept? Too extreme in his eyes…

"Oi, Yuushi-kun!"

He turned around and saw Tenka catching up to him. What did he want with him? Well, he figured, they would be seeing each other more often because they both knew Atobe. But that friendly smile of his annoyed him along with his lack of formality.

"I plan on joining you guys in the tennis club. Mind showing me where?" He asked once he caught up.

"I have a committee meeting before practice starts." He pushed up his glasses and was about to tell him exactly how to get there.

"Fine by me, I can wait. I got some mail to send anyway." His cell phone was already out, and he began looking through his messages.

Somewhat irritated, Oshitari nodded and led the way. If the male was willing to wait for him, then he shouldn't be so bothered. What he didn't understand was why follow him? They weren't friends and Atobe was most likely around.

"Because you're in my class and more convenient than having to find Atobe for directions," said the redhead as though he knew what Oshitari was thinking. He didn't need to glance up at him.

His expression faltered under his honest words, and he turned away from him. What the hell did he want with him? Convenience couldn't have been the reason. Tenka's simply playing with him. Whatever games he planned on playing, he didn't wish to be a part of them.

Refusing to respond to his remark, he said instead, "If you wish to wait, then be my guest."

Tenka glanced up at him for a split second before looking back at his mail. He really couldn't stop smirking. On a more serious note, he had to keep an eye on Yuushi Oshitari. He saw the observant look of his during class. Now, it was completely normal to find people – be it male or female – gazing upon his fine features. As for Oshitari's case, it wasn't a stare of awe or admiration; it was studious as though he wanted to find out all of his little dirty secrets. That wouldn't do, not for Matt anyway.

For the purpose of annoying him and gauging a reaction, Tenka remarked, "You seem bothered by me."

He wasn't too expectant for a response. The flinch in the male's posture was good enough for him. Atobe wasn't the only one that found a new toy.

While Oshitari attended his committee meeting, Tenka stole away to the roof after receiving a message from Matt. He kept a bright smile on his face as students passed by and greeted him, but he was more preoccupied knowing the third-year's opinion of the school.

"So, what do you think?" was the redhead's question once he met up with Matt.

"If you exclude the pompous ass, this place is fine."

"I'm pretty sure you had something more to say. If that's all you're going to say, then you should have just sent it through text."

The boy rolled his eyes, ignoring Tenka's remark, while his gaze remained on the purple tennis courts a short distance away. Although the courts were at the edge of campus, its color stood out. It seemed suitable for someone as flashy as Atobe.

"…I accepted that job offer. I got work tonight."

"You already told me that yesterday." He turned away from him, about to walk out. That was how he usually got him to admit whatever the hell he was hiding.

Matt drummed his fingers against his arm before saying, "…I let it slip that I have night terrors."

Tenka's head snapped towards the boy, and he frowned. In the two years that he had known Matt, he knew how careful he was about his personal life. He never let anyone in because no one tried earning his trust.

"If you feel ready to open up, then take the chance. I'm pretty sure I've smacked your head enough times to remind you that you let those chances slip by." When he didn't earn a response, he sighed and continued speaking, "Anyway, be careful on that job."

He left, returning to his spot next to the room Oshitari was in. He hoped Matt would for once follow his advice. Although they were close friends, he couldn't keep reminding him and watching over him for the rest of his life.

_Author's Note: I forgot to mention that I don't use the characters' full names like how they are in Japanese (like the last name being first). Sometimes it confuses me and I forget whose name is actually what._

_I don't have much to say that I think needs clarification. Hopefully, the chapter is clear enough._

_I hope you've enjoyed reading this chapter! Happy reading!_


	4. Chapter 3 - Hyoutei

_**Hyoutei**_

**3**

Very late into the evening, Matt woke up with a scream. His entire body trembled while he clutched his arms, trying to extinguish the nightmare he experienced. He didn't even look at the time for he knew what time it was. After every nightmare, the time would be 2:37 AM. No matter what time he slept at, his eyes opened at that exact time. And he would never be able to fall back asleep unless he wanted to relive the same damn nightmare.

"Mew…"

He looked at the kitten sitting in front of him with wide terrified eyes. "Sorry, Lucie…" He reached out and stroked the kitten's blonde fur. "Just go back to sleep…"

Carefully, he got out of bed and wrapped another blanket around himself. He felt bad for waking up Lucie again, but the routine was the same for the past three years he owned her. The screams, the apologies, and the cycle restarted itself until the next evening.

Nothing could be done to break it. Talking to Lucie about his nightmares was an option, except the kitten hardly understood him. She was an animal after all. Writing out his troubles resulted in scribbled out and torn pages. Telling a friend about them was pointless. He tried with Tenka. The best he could do was wake him up before his scream became too loud and woke the neighbors. Matt didn't live alone either. But his legal guardian wasn't home on most nights. Tonight was no exception.

The only option that remained was never sleeping again. Of course, that failed in misery. He slept in the daytime. At least he didn't get any nightmares at that time. It separated him from others though. People automatically assumed he studied too much and didn't consider any issues. And if he dozed off at night, then he would wake up trembling. He liked sleeping despite the nightmares.

With a heavy sigh, he shuffled downstairs and decided to make himself a cup of coffee. He had homework anyway. Maybe he could get some origami models in and read that book he bought.

The second ticked by painfully slow for he finished his homework within two hours or so. 4:19 AM and it still was too early to head towards Hyoutei. He already ate breakfast while he worked, and it was much too cold for an early run.

At 6:30 AM, he would depart from his home towards the academy for he lived farther than anyone from it. Every morning, he devoted to running and walking to school. The route was about an hour long, but it killed time. He got some sleep in too on campus.

Just thinking about the constant schedule he lived through made him sick. He hated being on the clock and yearned to break free of this time he always seemed to have. Picking up hobbies was an option. Problem was he learned too quickly and became skilled within a short amount of time. A lot didn't fill up his time.

He sank lower into the couch with his third cup of coffee no longer steaming. Backpack was prepared along with his lunch and gym clothes. He already had his shoes on. His eyes glazed as he stared at the clock, waiting for 6:30 to come. In the empty home, no one could see the tears that streamed down his cheeks as he suffered in his dark loneliness.

* * *

A full week had passed since Matt and Tenka attended Hyoutei Gakuen Academy. Slowly, people learned of their names and appearances, especially when they both seemed close with the Hyoutei tennis team.

The same number of fan girls in love with Atobe fell in love with Tenka. Some even referred to him as the 'red prince' although he insisted that it wasn't a necessary name. But when Matt pointed out that he actually liked the name, the girls still referred to him as such.

Matt's reputation on the other hand was a bit more jumbled. It was nothing like Tenka's, who was completely adored and admired. The silver-haired boy was caught between adorable and unapproachable. It depended on who was asked about him. The female population was intent on believing that Matt was shy around people while the males believed he was a bit violent and cold. Even the teachers were split on their views of Matt. What they did agree on was he slept a lot.

It drove the boy crazy, being caught between differing opinions. All in all, he just wanted to get through school, go home, and forget the rumors people said about him. He was practically repeating the same cycle as he had with the last school – the one burned down. Sooner or later, he was going to be downright hated, and he knew it.

The night terrors every evening weren't helping his mood either. He couldn't be kind when he was irritable from lack of sleep and paranoia. And he was especially unkind towards Atobe with his pompous ass. Because they shared the same schedule, he was forced to endure his wit and his self-centered personality.

At lunch, Matt trudged towards the roof. He yawned, feeling quite sleepy as always. If only Jirou wasn't the one constantly inviting him to lunch, he wouldn't feel guilty for not showing up. Perhaps he could get away with sleeping again. He had a particularly bad nightmare, and on top of it all, he received detention for passing out in the middle of another lecture. Oh, and he didn't forget the enamored girl from first period who practically cried out her love for him.

Before he walked up the stairs, he noticed the door to one of the music rooms open and empty. In his line of vision, there was an upright piano; its cover lifted up. He paused in his step and changed direction towards it. Although he could be in trouble for entering without permission, one piece wouldn't hurt. His day was shitty as it was. Every time there was a piano out in the open, he couldn't help but play. He used to play a lot as a kid, and it brought out emotions that no one usually saw according to Tenka.

"_Okaa-san, I can play it now!" A six-year-old Matthew smiled widely at his beloved mother. To show what he meant, he began playing a piece he had struggled with for a few days._

_The melody came out as he believed it should have – sweet and light. It was a happy song after all and needed to be played with light fingers._

"_Excellent job, Matthew." His mother hugged him tightly and lovingly. "What do you think the song is about?"_

"_Um… I think it's about you and me!"_

Blinking away the momentary flashback, Matt sat down on the bench and gently slid his fingers onto the cool keys. In reflection to his nightmare and his memory, he began with a bittersweet melody. There was no name for it. He never named the originals he created in his head.

"Thank you, Atobe!" Jirou happily thanked his captain for paying for his lunch… again. An assortment of snacks was in his arms as he dashed towards the stairs. He usually didn't buy this much, but since Matt had a major sweet tooth like him, he wanted to share.

Atobe simply followed after him, forced to make sure he didn't topple anyone over. For the past three years, he had been thinking of ways to make sure Jirou had his lunch on him. His plans never came into light because he was actually fine paying often. It was a commoner's lunch after all, and he was being charitable paying for it.

The two ended up getting blocked by a crowd in front of the music room door. Even from where they stood, they could hear the song being played.

"Is Choutarou playing?" Jirou asked, jumping up and down to see over the crowd.

Atobe actually wasn't sure. He had heard the second-year's playing before, but it was never like this. There was that unhappy tone to it, a tune he would never play.

"Let me through." He said imperiously. It didn't take much effort when he was the student council president.

Reaching the front, he was surprised to see Matt on the bench. It seemed like the boy didn't notice the crowd that had formed or the fact that some were actually in tears from his sorrowful melody.

"Wowww! That's so cool, Matt!" Jirou loudly praised, dashing past Atobe and into the room. He stopped beside Matt and somehow managed not to drop any of the snacks.

Atobe decided to follow in as well and stood by with his arms crossed. His eyes followed his fast fingers. The transitions between fast and slow were smooth along with his light or hard presses. No wonder such a beautiful yet sad melody could be produced. When he looked at the boy's face, he saw the trance he was in. There was raw emotion as well. Pain, sadness… just what did the boy go through to be able to feel this much? No one could replicate such emotions without feeling it first.

Once the song came to a soft and slow ending, Matt snapped out of his daze and finally noticed the crowd by the door. "O-Oh… um…" He didn't know what to do when everyone broke out into applause. The most he could do was bow his head and try to hide that blush on his cheeks.

"So cool, so cool!" Jirou wanted to clap as well, but his arms were full already.

The silver-haired boy didn't say anything, though he tried to smile. It was forced though for no one knew the back-story behind the song. He couldn't enjoy its beauty when it was about his childhood and when he was an innocent kid.

Atobe saw the pained expression and turned towards the clapping students. With a snap of his fingers, the claps stopped. He waved them all off, claiming that he needed privacy, although Matt was the center of attention. In the back of his mind, he wondered why he was doing this. The boy should be glad he got applauded.

"So that's where you all were." Tenka said while he leaned against the doorway. The rest of the tennis team was behind him. "We were wondering where you three were and went to find you."

The king smiled and pushed his hair back. "You should have come earlier. You would have gotten the best view."

Choutarou suddenly spoke up, "M-Matt-san, you played really well! I play as well…" He struggled to admit the fact that he played as well. Despite his skills, he didn't wish to sound like he bragged. It was also the first time he found something about Matt besides his apparent love for sleep and Pocky. He had been struggling to find common ground with him.

Matt looked at him and broke out into a smile, something that surprised everyone nearby. "Thanks, Choutarou. Maybe you could play something for me?"

"Of course! Can you play Beethoven?"

Oshitari watched the ecstatic Choutarou discuss different artists with Matthew. On the side, Shishidou stood by, awkwardly following along. Again, that uneasy feeling reformed in his chest. Something about the emotional aspect of the piece got him thinking. Even the music scores of the best romantic movies weren't this good. He actually felt moved along with emotions he never felt before. He never felt this much sadness before.

Too immersed in figuring out the mystery behind Matthew, he didn't notice Tenka silently watching. The redhead was glad his friend was taking his advice. Now it was a matter of time before everyone adjusted to Matt. He remembered their conversation earlier on the roof.

"_I heard he punched someone for waking him up during second." Gakuto said, initiating the conversation. "What a crazy guy… he just got here and is already treating everyone like an enemy."_

"_Maybe he's nervous… he is a new student here and doesn't want to be looked down on…" Choutarou spoke lightly of Matt, not wishing to judge so soon._

"_Yeah, but it's lame all the girls love him. Every period they always talk about how 'cute' he is. I don't get how he can keep a straight face all the time and still be considered cute. I've never seen him smile." Shishidou appeared frustrated, especially since he had trouble getting a girl. "He gives me a bad vibe."_

"_See, he's crazy! He has no emotions for whatever he does. He could be a cold-hearted killer for all we know. He even attacked you, Tenka. You are his friend, aren't you?" The acrobat gave the redhead a look. He wanted answers._

_Whatever the hell Gakuto read in his free time was beyond the redhead. He simply shrugged. "We are friends. But for the most part, we're partners. We know each other pretty well." A smirk graced his lips at a thought. "We were enemies before."_

"_Enemies…? Then how the heck did you two get along?"_

"_It's a secret." Tenka said with a wink._

"_Hmph… it seems like he's got secrets of his own." He made an irritated noise before explaining himself. "He sleeps just as much as Jirou and yet he knows the answer to everything!"_

"_Are you saying you're jealous, Mukahi?" His doubles partner inquired, looking up from his romance novel. "He does seem a bit… reckless and cold. He doesn't seem to like anyone."_

Just Oshitari's words alone put everyone on an edge. Tenka didn't know what he had against Matt, but that was actually normal. There were many people who didn't trust Matt the first day he came to class back at their last school. Luckily and unknowingly too, Matt broke through the edge. Still, he needed to keep an eye on the prodigy of Hyoutei.

"It's an impressive piece," remarked Matt after taking a look at an original done by the other boy with silver hair.

Choutarou's eyes had widened even further, stunned. "You don't need me to play it? You can hear it in your head?"

He nodded his head and handed the score sheets back to him. "It runs in the family." When he realized that he had spoken about his family, he frowned slightly. In his moment of happiness, he let slip of it. Now he just hoped he wasn't asked. He understood Tenka's words, but he still wasn't ready for the bombardment of questions and pity.

Becoming paranoid, his silver eyes drifted about. His eyes soon met those of Atobe, and his frown deepened. Why was he staring at him like that?

On impulse, he said aloud, "Got anything you want to say, Atobe?"

A smirk smoothly appeared on his lips. He wasn't troubled for being caught. "No need to be so harsh, _neko-chan_. Do you wish to not be seen through my insight?" His dark eyes became half-lidded for effect.

The boy tried restraining himself and ended up walking out of the music room with Jirou in pursuit. This excitable third-year had finally remembered that he had snacks to share.

"…Jirou… mind if I ask you something?" Matt stopped some distance away after gratefully accepting a box of Pocky. He really needed it.

"Of course!" He began devouring his own favored sweets.

"What's your opinion on Atobe?"

His chews came to a slow as he pondered on his question. "Mmm… he's a sensible leader. He makes sure we all get our practices in and helps us improve. He's quite admirable when you think about it." He soon lost interest and resumed eating.

Matt frowned slightly at the reply. It wasn't something he'd expect. If he asked Shishidou or Gakuto, he'd probably get something completely different. There were shades of gray in everything and everyone, he knew that. But in the case of Keigo Atobe, he was having a bit of trouble seeing both sides of him. Tenka didn't find him annoying as he did, since they were childhood friends. His curiosity was getting the best of him for he wanted to see it for himself.

"Hey, Jirou, do you mind telling me-?" He looked to the third-year and found him sleeping, slumped against the wall with crumbs all over his face. "…"

"Oh, great, he fell asleep." Shishidou rolled his eyes after witnessing the third-year doze off. He noticed the irritated look on Matt's face and smiled. So the boy could look annoyed rather than simply emotionless. All right, Choutarou was right about not judging him quickly. "Mind helping me carry him to his next class? Atobe always bitches about how he has to do it after school."

He cocked an eyebrow, a bit surprised by the sudden friendliness. Earlier in the week, the boy was sort of wary. Regardless, he smirked at his truthful opinion about Atobe. "He doesn't have to carry him at least."

They each took an arm and dragged him towards his next class. Choutarou joined them, insisting that he carry all of their bags. He had already picked up the sweets Jirou dropped before dozing off.

"Don't be stupid, Choutarou. His class is just a few feet away." Shishidou refused to look at him, knowing what look he was getting. No, he was not going to fall for those puppy dog eyes.

"At least let me help you too, Matt-san."

"It's really fine." He made the mistake to look at him. Although the boy was taller than him, his eye twitched under the glossy brown eyes. Innocence seriously was a weapon. "…all right, you can hold my bag…"

A smile shined on the second-year's face as he accepted the bag.

Matt and Shishidou hauled the still sleeping Jirou into class and plopped him into his seat. They then stuffed his candies into his bag before departing. Just as they left, the bell rang, ending lunchtime.

"See ya," said the silver-haired boy, turning towards his next class.

"Hey, Matt."

He stopped and glanced back at Shishidou, raising an eyebrow.

"You know, Choutarou's got a piano at his place. Why don't you walk home with us after practice and take a look at it?"

Now the boy understood the reasoning behind his friendliness. It was all for Ootari Choutarou. He found it kind of sweet that he was looking out for him. The Silver Pair weren't bad to be around.

"Not today. I got work today, but I'll make time for tomorrow." He gave them a short wave before walking on.

Once Matt turned a corner, the other silver-haired boy exclaimed, "Sh-Shishidou-san, why did you do that?! I thought you didn't like him!" He didn't understand his close friend's reasoning at times.

"But you like him, don't you?"

He frowned, unsure if he should have taken offense by his words. What did he mean by that? Sticking to caution, he slowly replied, "As a friend, yes…"

"Then there are no problems here."

Shishidou walked ahead to his class, leaving his _kouhai_ behind and dumbfounded. His hands were stuffed in his pockets after adjusting his cap. He knew he shouldn't have left him in the dust, but he didn't want him figuring it out too quickly. He did a lot of shit for the sake of him.

_Author's Note: It got a little serious in the beginning. I kind of hope that didn't kill the mood, but the genre does include 'Hurt/Comfort'. And I'm just rambling a bit._

_I do want to mention that I absolutely adore Choutarou and Shishidou together. How can you not ship them with how they interact in the anime? So yes, I will mention their relationship throughout the story._

_Next chapter will include Tatsuya (who was first mentioned in the prologue if anyone happened to forget about him). It's not exactly a filler since the story focuses on three couples mainly._

_And I got my first reviews! I actually wasn't expecting any until later or none at all (as you can see I have an esteem issue with my writings), but I appreciate the time that was taken to even write them._

_Thanks for reading and enjoy!_


	5. Chapter 4 - Rikkaidai

**_Rikkaidai_**

**4**

It was a quiet and peaceful day at Rikkaidai Fuzoku. Well, Tatsuya Aoi would gladly enjoy it if he wasn't lost. He just transferred into the middle school and already came late to class, screwed up his introduction, and was teased because of his light purple hair.

"How do I get to the kendo club…?" He asked nervously to himself, knowing he didn't know where he was going.

He had ended up outside of the school and around the tennis courts. The paper with directions he was given was useless for it was written in pencil and had been crumbled and stepped on multiple times. There was no way to interpret it when a large shoe print was stamped in the middle, blending well with the light words.

As he made his way around, he was reluctant to ask for directions. And admittedly, he was a bit distracted by the attractive tennis players, much to his shame. If Tenka was here, he'd laugh and ask who was hotter; if Matt was here, he'd scold him and pick a fight with Tenka. How he missed his best friends…

Figuring out his sexuality at the age of fourteen was not easily accepted. The background he came from wouldn't approve, so he kept it a well-hidden secret. But that didn't always work out because of his barely controllable hormones. What was worse was how much he blushed on a regular basis. They occurred more often than naught, and he was already easily embarrassed.

After reminding himself that he should handle the task at hand, he fumbled with the paper again. He still couldn't make heads or tails of the map drawn by a drawling secretary.

The wind blew particularly hard today, and before the boy could react, his paper had flown out of his fingers. It kept flying and dipping through the air until it slammed into the face of Akaya Kirihara – the demonic "Junior Ace".

Outside of tennis, the second-year was kind and quite friendly. But in the courts, his inner demon was currently out.

He tore the paper from his red eyes and glared at the outsider. It didn't matter if he was a student of Rikkaidai. The bastard would pay for messing with his time.

"_S-Sumimasen!_" Tatsuya scrambled in and bowed at Kirihara. "The paper flew out of my hands. I'm sorry for interrupting!"

When he straightened up, he wasn't prepared for the paper, in the form of a crushed ball, to be thrown into his face. In his surprise, he stumbled back, falling on his bottom. The paper ball bounced harmlessly off of him and onto the court.

His golden eyes remained on the small thing while the people around him burst out into laughs. He should have caught the paper and not reacted so pathetically. What use was it to train his reaction times when he couldn't even dodge a mere ball?

Drowning out the laughs, a deep, commanding voice boomed, "Everyone run fifty laps! Kirihara, one hundred!"

There were no complaints. No one questioned the authority of their vice-captain. So everyone shuffled past the fallen Tatsuya and took their laps.

It shocked the boy and he was truly impressed. He could never raise his voice at anyone without being mocked. He wasn't a leader although certain people expected him to be one. His older sister was better at it than him.

"I apologize for my team's impudence."

Strong hands slid under Tatsuya's arms and lifted him to his feet.

Authority with the strength to match no doubt, Tatsuya guessed. Not at all ready to face the male behind him, he bent down to pick up the paper ball and stood back up.

"Thanks, but… isn't a hundred a bit much…?"

He finally turned to face his savior, only to avert his eyes somewhere else. Their eyes had met, and he wasn't prepared for what he saw. Most likely, his face was red, and his heart was pounding.

"We have a strict policy here." The vice-captain spoke flatly. From under the shadow of his cap, he studied the boy in front of him. He recognized him because of his purple hair and his tardiness to class this morning. "Tatsuya Aoi, yes? You transferred in today."

"_H-Hai!_ I'm honored that you remember me." He smiled sheepishly, refusing to look at him still. Inwardly, he was kicking himself for his formality. Whenever he met someone good-looking, he couldn't help but be cautious about his words. "I… I don't know your name un-unfortunately."

"Genichirou Sanada." He said promptly, taking note of the crumpled paper in his hands. "Do you have somewhere to be?" He stepped forward and plucked it from him.

Instinctively, he jumped back. Sanada was too close. "_H-Hai…_"

The stoic boy stared at him a few seconds longer. His eyebrows scrunched together for he didn't understand his behavior. He had never met anyone so nervous around people before.

"I'll let you be on your way then, after the team apologizes."

"I-I don't think that'll be necessary, Sanada-san!" Tatsuya waved his hands in front of him for emphasis. As thoughtful as it was, he didn't want to suffer further embarrassment. They all had to run laps, so that was more than enough.

He glanced at the silent vice-captain, unable to make out his expression. If only he wasn't so passive, he could handle stares. Tenka knew how to take them elegantly, and Matt simply stared back. Out of habit, his fingers scratched at his warm cheek.

Sanada could tell how nervous he was making him. He knew his presence had that effect, but again, he couldn't understand the extent of the boy's behavior. And somehow, he felt that he recognized him from somewhere else… if he had met someone with golden eyes before, then he shouldn't have a problem remembering.

In the midst of the drawn-out silence, Tatsuya cleared his throat rather awkwardly. "If you don't mind telling me where the k-kendo club practices, I'd… I'd be grateful."

That got his attention. He hadn't expected the boy to be in a martial art that well… required a calm persona. Then again, he shouldn't be judging. Kirihara had a surprisingly friendly personality when a racket wasn't in his hands.

"I can show you myself," stated the vice-captain. He noticed Aoi's attempt to protest again, but it fell short. So he figured it was best to start walking now. "How long have you been a practitioner?"

"Longer than people would expect…" Tatsuya gave a short smile as he dwelled on his thoughts. At random intervals, he'd have to catch up when he spaced out. "I started karate first but then transitioned into kendo."

Thoughts drifted to when he was forced into the martial arts. His father showed little mercy for how young he was. He didn't give any leeway to his older sister either. They both had to train and practice for his sake. Any mistakes or sloppiness resulted in smacks to the cheek.

"Have you participated in any tournaments?" Sanada saw that he was getting somewhere. Maybe he could figure out where he had seen Aoi before.

"A… A few…" His gaze averted again for he was being lenient on how many he had been in. In order to prove himself skilled, his father entered him in every tournament with boys who were older than him. "Do you practice kendo?"

He nodded his head, though his expression remained stoic. Tatsuya couldn't tell if he enjoyed the sport or not. Either way, he learned something about him.

They reached the club, which was held in the gym. From outside, they could hear clacks and shouts. Hopefully, the purple-haired boy wouldn't be scolded for getting lost. It was his first day, though captains of kendo clubs were rarely flexible - at least, the ones he had met in the past.

"Thanks for the help." He bowed respectfully to Sanada before heading inside.

Somehow, seeing him bow made the vice-captain wonder where he had seen the boy before. It was traditional to bow to the opponent in matches, but how Aoi bowed was bugging him. Then he thought back to a particular match he watched with his grandfather.

_High-spirited shouts filled the room as a kendo match was drawn out to the last second. The two opponents were fighting for the championship of the region. Many onlookers cheered for both sides. But it was still peculiar of how small one of the opponents were. Rumor had it that he was the youngest of them all. And he was usually referred to as the 'fierce and young dragon' rather than his name. No one knew it actually._

_A seven-year-old Sanada watched in amazement. His eyes were wide and didn't blink in fear of missing a point. Although they were the same age, the boy in the match exceeded him._

_Eventually, the match ended with the seven-year-old winning. They exchanged deep and respectful bows. The entire audience broke out in cheers and applauds. But Sanada noticed something strange in the champion. When he took off his mask, the boy wasn't smiling. His eyes kept shifting, especially towards the man who was assumed to be his coach._

_"Ojii-san… why isn't he smiling? He won!"_

_The elderly man saw what Sanada was talking about and frowned at the coach. "Rumor had it the coach slaps him for mistakes he made. He made the mistake of drawing out the match."_

_Although he understood how crucial kendo was for people, he couldn't imagine seeing another child his age slapped._

Snapping back to reality, Sanada couldn't stop Aoi from walking inside. He knew what he looked like, but he wanted to make sure.

"…he had blonde hair…"

* * *

The following day at lunch was normal for Sanada. He routinely entered the dining hall and ate his preferred style of meal along with two buns. Then he'd be on his way. But that all came crashing when he saw Tatsuya hunched over his lunchbox. His golden eyes had a duller hue, giving it a burnt aspect.

Normally, he wouldn't give much thought for helping another student, but now that he knew who the shy third-year really was, he found himself watching him whenever they passed by the halls. It took a few glances until he pieced together the image of Aoi as a blonde.

"Genichirou, you're distracted," stated Yanagi Renji in a matter-of-fact tone. His closed eyes followed his friend's line of vision until he saw who the distraction was. "Tatsuya Aoi, third-year… his class is 3-A, I believe. Other than that, I have no other data on him. But his personality being reserved and passive is 97%."

Sanada grunted before returning to his half-eaten lunch. Renji's data in tennis was useful; outside of class, it tended to be a little much and unnecessary.

He continued on with his analysis, particularly because of Sanada's apparent interest, "Chances of having been slapped by a male are 85%."

The vice-captain frowned at the statement, though he wasn't going to deny that he hadn't noticed. The handprint was distinct and very red against Aoi's pale skin. It reminded him of the fearful look he had at the championship years ago. They were older now though, so slapping would be justified. The vice-captain did it himself when his teammates were out of line. And what did it matter if the boy was slapped. He took kendo, so mistakes were rarely glanced over.

Renji made a few more notes in his head about Tatsuya Aoi. When nothing else could be analyzed he turned to his childhood friend. As stoic and straight-faced as the capped male was, he knew how to read his eyes. Distraction was evident along with confliction. His options were either Sanada felt pity on the boy or felt the boy didn't need so much attention. Taking into account of Sanada's no-nonsense policy, personality, and actions, Sanada was feeling the latter. It was a mere 66%, but it was more likely.

"I believe he interrupted our practice yesterday. Is there something about him that interests you?"

It was a trick question. Sanada didn't need to deduce that. He knew Renji's habits very well, dropping questions that made him think. So he wasn't going to fall for his trap.

"He's a boy that needs to toughen up."

Their conversation ended at that while they finished up their meals. The boy with light purple hair sitting at the far corner of the dining hall was soon forgotten.

It wasn't until sixth period history did Sanada pay attention to Aoi again. The teacher decided to assign a project and required another partner. Freedom to choose to work with was given. Immediately, everyone began claiming partners every which way, except for Tatsuya.

He unfortunately didn't know anyone except for the capped male seated two rows away. Not wanting to appear desperate, he stayed where he was instead of asking him to be his partner. They had only met yesterday. That didn't mean they were friends or even acquaintances. But he needed a partner…

Hoping there for no refusal or at least a gentle one, he stood from his seat and walked towards Sanada.

"S-Sanada-san…?" He waited until their eyes met. "Do you mind if… if we partner up?"

The third-year nodded, somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected the offer though he was waiting for it. In a sense, he wanted to see if that 3% of non-passiveness existed before asking someone else. It turned out that it did.

Not one for procrastination, he said, "We'll meet after my tennis practice."

"H-Hai!" responded the boy with eager eyes. He wanted to get started too and maybe, just maybe, he could make a friend.

Sanada spared him a glance. For some reason, the eagerness in his eyes was better to look at compared to the dull glaze it had when he was alone.

_Author's Note: Okay, Sanada seems bit out of character in my opinion (or it's just me having little confidence in characterization, pfff). I tried my best to portray him as how he would, but since you don't really see much of the Prince of Tennis characters outside of the tennis courts, it's a little difficult._

_Next chapter will also take place at Rikkaidai before I jump back to Hyoutei. Problem is I won't post until a few days later. Because college is coming up, I will have to post in 3-5 day intervals. I'm also a little behind on the number of chapters I wanted to right before posting this chapter. And... my brain needs its rest. There are times when I get writer's block (the accursed block with its unpredictable timing and existence). I will let all of my fellow readers know in the future if I fall under its curse._

_I hope this all made sense although it seems like a jumble of emotions for Tatsuya. The poor boy is always misunderstood, partly because of his reluctance to mention his family life, even when he dwells on it._

_Happy reading to those who have made it this far and enjoy!_


	6. Chapter 5 - Rikkaidai

_**Rikkaidai**_

**5**

Renji looked somewhat perplexed when Tatsuya suddenly showed up at tennis practice again. As he looked on, he noticed that the boy was simply sitting in the bleachers and patiently waiting. The probability of him waiting for Sanada was 100% since that was the only person he knew. Well, there was Kirihara, but who would want to wait for someone who humiliated you?

Others of the tennis club noticed his presence, wondering what the hell he was doing there. He seemed out of place.

Before anyone got any more 'bright' ideas and began rumors, Renji decided to get them started on warm-ups before Sanada came from his committee meeting. He approached the boy in an attempt to collect some information. It didn't matter if he was in tennis or not. He collected solely on the fact that Sanada seemed interested in him.

Tatsuya looked up to the approaching male and sat up straighter. "H-Hi."

"Are you waiting for Genichirou?"

He nodded his head, already feeling discomfort. It was disturbing staring back at someone whose eyes were closed. And the directness of the question most likely invoked a blush on his cheeks. He was waiting for Sanada-san, but why did that imply something else?

Nothing missed under Renji's eyes as he observed his posture. He didn't like jumping to conclusions about the reason someone blushed for another. There seemed to be endless possibilities that screwed up his data. 26% was out of sheer embarrassment; 23% was for his straightforward question; 38% was dedicated to the fact that it was a cold day; 5% suggested he was sick; 7% could mean the blush was natural; 1% was at the mention of Sanada's name.

Just that one percent put a frown on his face. Maybe he was being optimistic for his childhood friend's sake. The male claimed relationships were nonsense, but he figured out his type after careful observation. The only issue was Tatsuya was a male and not a female. It wasn't his place to judge one's sexuality, though he noticed these sorts of indications before.

Regardless, he felt that he should somehow obtain more evidence behind his 1% claim.

"Practice ends around 6:30. Are you willing to wait that long?"

"Sanada-san told me to meet him after practice. We're going to discuss the history project once he's finished…" His voice trailed off for the stare (if he could call it that) unnerved him. Even though he didn't see the male's eyes, he could feel his gaze reading him.

"Ah…" That still wasn't enough to explain the 1%. He at least knew he would be seeing more interactions between the two in the future.

He spoke as though that somehow meant something to him. But Tatsuya didn't make a point of it. His thumbs twirled with each other as he resisted the urge to scratch at his cheek. He accidentally scratched too hard last period after partnering up. Nervousness got the better of him after feeling relieved and excited to be partners with Sanada. He didn't have to force an acquaintanceship on someone else and, admittedly, he still admired his masculine features. Just the thoughts he had made him scratch unconsciously.

"Yanagi, you will run laps if you don't start the match with Kirihara!" boomed Sanada's voice, his arms crossed.

"Speaking of the devil…" A faint smile curled on Renji's thin lips. "We shall continue our conversation another time, Aoi-kun."

Tatsuya blinked as the male known as Yanagi walked away. Mere implications made him all the more nervous and confused.

Throughout practice, Renji's mind seemed to be somewhere else although he was handling the Junior Ace well into their match. He had caught the vice-captain stealing a few glances at the sitting third-year, though there wasn't much indication as to why.

He sighed softly as he performed a drop shot, knowing that Kirihara would lob it since he was at the baseline. Sanada and Tatsuya were complete opposites from what he could see and deduce. It didn't require much thought that Tatsuya was easily unnerved and uncomfortable around strangers, which was very unlike Sanada, whose presence commanded attention and respect.

Tatsuya watched their practice matches with interest until he realized he should be more productive. So he took out his homework and worked on it, though his eyes couldn't help but drift to the players. He wasn't a tennis player himself, but he at least understood the basics.

At times he would see Sanada slap another player, drawing a frown from the boy. He hadn't expected seeing such discipline. Still it seemed like it was the norm among the team. Seeing the slap made him think about his. He touched it lightly and considered the anger behind it.

"_You insufferable brat… kendo is our way of life. You can't lead the organization remaining a weakling. You couldn't even join the damn team!" His father slapped him with such force that he knocked his own son down. He didn't care for all he saw was a meek failure._

_Tatsuya bit back the pain and didn't tear his eyes away from his father. The seething hatred loomed over his golden eyes, but he never fought back. He couldn't because of the risk that would put his sister in._

_His older sister angrily watched the display before her, rushing to her brother's side and helping him up. She shot the same look Tatsuya had at her father._

_Their father cruelly smirked. His attention moved from his son to his daughter. She had grown into a woman now, just like their mother. "You're just like your mother when she actually had a strong will. She gave me that same look before I made her mine." For some reason, he enjoyed mentioning the actions he took against their mother. He liked the hatred they had for him. That was how a leader was born – through hate._

_His teeth grinded together, and Tatsuya shouted, "She never was yours, and she never will be!" He stormed out of the room regardless of the men standing in his way. In his anger, he snapped, "Out of my sight!"_

The lump that had formed in his throat was painfully swallowed. Oh, yes, he was capable of rage as much as he hated giving in to it. The kind of man his father was… well, being a yakuza leader made him the disgusting man he was.

His shoulders fell into a slump the more he thought about his family – his real family, not the hierarchy yakuza followed. In reality, all he had was his older sister. Their mother was alive, but she just wasn't there for them. She couldn't with how things were.

He hoped no one found out about this – for lack of a better term – other life. At the last school, many people couldn't believe his affiliation due to his personality. And when it was absorbed, they came to dislike him.

By the end, practice had gone on as usual without anything unusual from the stoic vice-captain, much to Renji's disappointment. Even with Tatsuya around, there was no change, save the extra glances.

They were all dismissed, and Sanada slung his tennis bag over his shoulder before joining Tatsuya.

"Let's go," were the only words spoken.

The boy followed after him towards the nearest bus stop. They discussed topics on the way towards the nearest library.

_Author's Note: I think I'm having too much fun with Renji. XD It's kind of obvious those percentages were pulled out of my ass and for the sake of the plot._

_And yes, Tatsuya's father works in the yakuza. I'm hoping this information about my characters isn't confusing. It's just really hard mentioning this stuff later on in the chapters. I would love to post character biographies, but I don't see how I could._

_Sorry for the short chapter. It ended a lot shorter than I previously thought, but the purpose of it was to show Tatsuya's personal life. And I don't think anyone wants to read how they discuss history, right?_

_Next chapter will be back at Hyoutei, and as always, happy reading and enjoy!_


	7. Chapter 6 - Hyoutei

_**Hyoutei**_

**6**

Oshitari kept clicking his pen after working on a math problem he didn't feel like doing. His thoughts were too preoccupied on practice earlier this afternoon. Which new student he should focus on, he didn't know. Tenka Morita and Matthew Fatale together were peculiar in his eyes.

He glanced at his computer screen, tempted to research, but not until his homework was finished. If it wasn't for the casualty that was Tenka and the mystery that was Matt, he'd be able to move on with his life. They were just new students, weren't they?

After forcing focus on his homework, he finally finished. For once, he didn't care if they were right as long as it appeared finished. He wondered who he should research first.

Unintentionally, he thought about Tenka's words to him:

"_You know, you're a mysterious person?" Tenka conversed with him during practice. "I like that in another male. It makes me wonder what secrets there are in your head. Maybe we should exchange thoughts."_

That did it. He was first. He would gladly learn what secrets the cocky redhead had without revealing his own. The first article that popped up about Tenka Morita was most recent – a fire had occurred a few months ago, completely burning down a middle school. He skimmed over the context and learned that Tenka, Matthew, and another boy called Tatsuya were hailed as heroes for rescuing trapped classmates. There were even pictures of the three after the rescue. Other than that, he found no use in the article and closed it.

The next one was of a junior boxing championship, featuring Tenka. It was dated quite recently, just a few weeks before the fire broke out. He vaguely wondered why Tenka ended up playing tennis rather than continuing his career in boxing.

As his research continued, he found more articles, but nothing out of the ordinary. It seemed like Tenka was an ambitious boy who loved boxing. What threw him off were no mentions of his family. It was easy finding information about the Morita family, who were renowned for their sponsorships and breakthroughs in science. They were wealthy though it hardly matched up to Atobe's fortune. But they weren't Tenka's actual family. He lived with his aunt and uncle. Well, there was a sibling (a younger sister) and a few cousins (a much older cousin and two younger twins). As for his parents, there was nothing.

Then he tried searching for articles about Matthew. There was the same article involving the fire and a few others in English. Other articles showed that the boy entered a few tennis tournaments, which he found perplexing. Matt seemed to have no interest in the sport. He did notice another recent article – a court case about him.

Before he could click on the link, his older sister called from downstairs.

"Yuushi-kun, it's time for dinner!"

Oshitari sighed and reluctantly pulled away from the computer screen. He would have to read it later.

* * *

Meanwhile, Tenka stretched after reading a novel for English. He glanced at the clock wondering if Matt was at work. Being the older, more responsible male he was, he couldn't help it. If Matt hadn't taken that stupid job, he wouldn't be tapping the edge of his book impatiently or pacing as he read. The boy got himself in stupid shit at times. Then there was Tatsuya at the other academy. He figured he should call him tomorrow to make sure he didn't have a nervous breakdown.

Thinking about others gave him a headache. Sometimes, it was a bit stressful being the older brother to well… everyone. Now that Atobe and he rekindled their friendship. He was in for some serious dramatics. Actually, that wasn't so bad. Atobe complained about trivial crap, and they understood their familial situations.

And then there was Yuushi-kun. The male was definitely on edge with him, just as he wanted. Now he had to make sure it stayed like that, so he could figure out what he exactly wanted. People under pressure tend to let slip of their motives. But he had to keep himself aloof, which meant he had to remain the teasing playboy.

Okay, okay, he didn't hate being that kind of guy. It had its perks. He just wanted to be someone else for once. Being the adopted child of the Morita family meant he had to look and act a certain way. Somehow, that equated to him acting as he did now. Only in the comfort of his room and mind did he act like whoever the hell he wanted.

"Man… I need some sleep…" A yawn escaped his lips, and since there was no one in the room, he was free to yawn as long and as loud as he wanted to.

In a few minutes, he laid down on his bed, resting his hands over his head while staring at the ceiling. It was relatively quiet at this hour. His uncle and aunt slept way before he did along with his kid cousins. He didn't give a damn about the eldest cousin who had a consistency of sneaking out at night. Then there was his little sister.

"Ah… right… I should check up on Kameko…"

He rose up from the bed and headed towards the room across from his. Slowly and soundlessly, he opened it and took a peek inside. From where he stood, he saw his little sister tucked under the thick covers. But he always checked.

Tenka approached cautiously, tilting his head under he saw the top of her crimson-colored hair. Seeing her innocent face made him smile because she was his cute little sister. He found it funny how her head was tucked in, like a turtle with its head in its shell.

Exactly as how he entered, he left and closed the door behind him. A sigh of relief exhaled deeply from him. His worries were one less for now.

The moment he returned to his room, his cell phone vibrated noisily against the wooden surface of his desk. He groaned and snatched it up. The caller ID was Matt as expected.

"Before you say how stupid I was, I broke my leg, so I won't be in school tomorrow," said the boy once Tenka answered. His voice sounded irritated although winded too.

He smirked for it was nice hearing he was right every once in awhile. "Anything else I should know?"

"Tell Choutarou and Shishidou that we'll have to meet up another day. And…" There was a pause. "…shit… I need to ask someone for notes…"

"Ah, that's right. We're not in the same class anymore. You see, this exactly proves my point that the friends I make are yours to." Tenka said for the purpose of rubbing it in because he knew who was in the same class. "Atobe's in your class, so ask him."

"No! I refuse to ask any favors from him. I think I've made my point that I don't like associating with him."

His smirk grew wicked, amused by Matt's outright refusal. He could have fun with this. "Well, you don't need to ask him. But I can make you do it."

"…wait, what? Tenka, don't even-!"

"Consider this a favor, _neko-chan_. Besides, you did something stupid, so I'm teaching you a lesson. I'll have him at your house tomorrow, so you have to ask him." He hung up before Matt could treat him to some colorful language.

The smirk on his lips remained as wide as ever. Oh, how he loved playing with him. Though, it did worry him that he broke his leg already.

On the other end, Matt snapped his phone shut, fuming. What a shitty night… he sighed loudly before falling onto the pillows of the hospital bed. His silver eyes rested on the propped up leg. Admittedly, he did do something stupid…

* * *

The great king stared at the envelope being presented to him in class by a heavily blushing girl. It wasn't uncommon for him to receive them, but the envelope wasn't for him, but for Matthew. A king should never be reduced to a messenger.

"Please, Atobe-sama, could you give this to Matt-kun?" The girl bowed her head, partly out of embarrassment. She had previously adored Atobe, but now her new obsession was Matt. It was hard facing him.

Not wanting to seem rude, he accepted the letter. "I'll be sure to deliver it myself."

She nodded gratefully and hurried back to her friends. Together they squealed about her success.

Atobe kept a neutral expression although he wondered why girls squealed in the first place. He slid the letter into his bag. This was becoming a nightmare. He needed to reestablish who the more attractive love interest was.

Class was soon dismissed and so was school in general. Flicking his hair back, the king left and headed towards the student council room. Surely, there would be no more love letters from his faithful student council. He could have some peace and enjoy a good tennis practice afterwards.

Sometime in the middle of looking at reports with Kabaji, it began to rain outside. There had been gray clouds hovering over the school since this morning, but no one could predict the coming of rain. Still, it came down hard and fast. There went the necessitated peace.

A sigh left Atobe's lips, and he spent the next thirty minutes or so informing every club member that practice was canceled.

"Kabaji, I want you to go home now before the rain gets worse. I can't afford having you or any of the regulars getting sick."

"Usu," said the obedient second-year, collecting his things and leaving.

Alone in the council room, Atobe gazed out the window, his fingers splayed across his face in their usual manner. If he wasn't chivalrous for delivering the letter himself, he should have asked Kabaji to deliver it. He really wasn't in a good mood. It still bothered him that Matthew hadn't fallen for his prowess like everyone else. And it was raining. Rain in his hair was the last thing he wanted to deal with.

Before calling the limo, he called Tenka to get the boy's address and inform him of the cancellation.

"_Moshi moshi_?"

"It's Atobe. I require Matthew's address."

Tenka stayed silent for a few seconds. He was just about to call Atobe and feed him some excuse to go to Matt's house. He wondered what sort of reason there was behind this, but figured he'd be more entertained if he asked.

"I'll text you it." Feigning innocence, he asked, "So why do you require his address?"

"A girl with no taste asked me to deliver a letter for him." He drawled on, "I don't see why she couldn't have you deliver them. I have more important matters to do than play messenger boy." Then out of nowhere, he added, "The boy doesn't like me anyway. I'm a king, and he treats me as an equal."

That was news to Tenka. He hadn't known a boy disliking him bothered him. Well, not to the extent that he'd complain about it. More or less, Atobe didn't give much thought about boys because he could crush them in tennis or with his intelligence. Matt was a different case. He didn't give a damn about either.

"Charm him then, if you're that desperate." Tenka suggested, though he wasn't serious. He doubted Atobe would go as far as to wooing a boy. It'd be a funny sight the more he pondered on it… "Anyway, I'll send you the address and see you tomorrow. Oh, and he'll need homework and notes in case he refuses to ask."

Atobe hung up after a farewell. A frown appeared on his lips at Tenka's suggestion. Charming Matthew was the last option on his mind. It wasn't advice he had to take anyway.

After an impatient wait and ride to the boy's home, he was at the front door. His first thoughts on the house were its small size and the awning leaked. A puddle of water had formed in the middle of the porch. He eyed it carefully so his hair wouldn't get wet. Next thought was the distance. He didn't understand why he lived this far from the school.

With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the chauffeur before rapping his knuckles against the door. He didn't want to appear as though he flaunted his wealth.

"Coming…! Coming…!" called out the boy. Uneven thumps soon followed.

Eventually he slid the door open and found the pompous ass on his porch. With a heavy sigh, he leaned against the doorway for support, rubbing his forehead. Matt seriously was having a bad day. A pounding headache coupled with a painfully pulsing leg worsened his mood. But he had to show some respect, taking in the fact that Atobe was willing to drive out here.

"Thanks for coming out …"

Atobe gazed upon him, taking careful notice of the rings under his eyes and the cast around his left leg. It actually worried him that the boy would pass out. Other than that, the boy looked the same as usual, except for his hair. It was as messy as ever. And that Pocky stick in his mouth was simply unbecoming.

Flicking back his own, he spoke, "It seems you have finally come to your senses. My presence brightens your doorstep."

Matt shot him a glare, his teeth grinding on the tip of the stick to the point it snapped and fell from his mouth. Great, a perfectly good stick wasted on the ass. Okay, forget being respectful. The sarcasm dripped in his voice like acid. "Oh, yes, I definitely wanted you here because you complete my life. No, I just need homework and notes from you if it isn't too much trouble."

A shot of pain coursed through his body. And he couldn't bite back a wince. Fuck, his leg wasn't helping his mood. He didn't mean to be that cold, although Atobe provoked him.

Gnawing on his lip, he felt guilty. "Sorry… just… come in, please. As you can tell, my leg is broken, and I'm not Mr. Sunshine."

Somehow witnessing the hasty changes in Matthew's attitude entertained Atobe. The boy really was like a cat. And he made the most obvious expressions. It was easy reading his emotions.

"That's all right, _neko-chan_. I know how to be forgiving when one learns one's mistakes."

He strode inside, carefully taking off his shoes before walking in. The interior was surprisingly larger than how it appeared outside. There wasn't much in the living room, except for the television, a plain coffee table, and simple couches. It didn't seem lively.

"You might be here for awhile so make yourself comfortable. I got to copy your notes and everything." Matt moved past on his crutches towards the kitchen.

Atobe took a seat on the couch, crossing his legs and smoothing his pants. His hands remained folded on top while he continued his gaze around the room. No pictures or even plants existed. He wouldn't be surprised if the boy's parents were dull.

"Mew!" a tiny voice could be heard from under the table.

Immediately, a kitten jumped onto the couch and settled next to Atobe. Her wide blue eyes stared as her tail swished from side to side. She tilted her head at the stranger and mewed again.

That had to be the smallest kitten the king had ever seen. Most likely, it was the runt of the litter.

Before he could stop it, the blonde kitten sniffed at him and rubbed its head against his thigh. Atobe stiffened. Oh no, he did not want the tiny feline getting too comfortable on him. Cats shed hair, and he hated finding them all over him. His fondness for cats had an extent. He could admire from afar, and he preferred the hypothetical kittens that were the girls he teased and Matt.

"No… I didn't allow you to come near me." He grabbed it by the scruff and dropped it on the arm of the couch.

"Well, that's not nice." The silver-haired boy stood across from them with a tray of tea balanced in his hand while the other clutched a crutch.

The king huffed, "I don't like hair on my person besides my own." He spoke as though it was obvious.

Matt took extra seconds to keep calm despite his twitching eyebrow. He just had to bear with him for a few hours. It couldn't be too bad, right? "She doesn't shed much hair, and she doesn't bite either. Lucie just likes meeting new people."

"Lucie…" Then he noticed the connection between her name and the blonde fur. "Ah… I see now… 'She was the golden thread that united him to a Past beyond his misery, and to a Present beyond his misery…' as described in A Tale of Two Cities." It seemed strange naming a cat purely because of its fur color.

"Y-Yeah…" He set the tray down and began pouring the tea. Not another word passed his lips for he didn't know what to say.

Matt and Atobe fell into an awkward silence that hung in the air. Both were occupied with something trivial – Matt, the hot tea; Atobe, the minuscule wrinkles of his blazer. They finally found something they had in common, but neither proceeded forward. Even Lucie lost interest and jumped down from her spot, padding out of the room.

The silver-haired boy still didn't know what to say. Yes, Tenka advised he took every opportunity he could to open up. Problem was who to open up to. Out of all people to find common ground with, it was Atobe. He was the last person he wanted to share any interests with.

As for the king, he could carry a conversation with ease. But the boy gave off a vibe that told him he didn't want to speak. Never before had he encountered such an issue. At the social events held at the manor, people were dying to speak with him. With someone like Matt… the opposite had happened.

Atobe was the first to break the silence, refusing to be the last to speak. "How did you break your leg, _neko-chan_?"

"Wouldn't you like to know…?" muttered the boy, surprised he even asked. Now to figure out whether or not Atobe asked because he actually cared or because he wanted to show he cared about someone other than himself.

"I had work. I'm a sort of handyman whenever someone needs me because it's convenient. My first job was yesterday and I had to… babysit someone." His silver eyes remained on the pot of tea. Despite his efforts, anyone could tell he was lying… sort of.

"Ahn, I didn't know you liked kids." He picked up a cup and took a light sip. The flavor wasn't as colorless as he expected of a commoner's brand. "That still doesn't tell me how you broke your leg."

"Bullshit… perfect insight my ass…" the boy muttered again. "It was a stupid mistake, that's all. I acted before thinking."

Now that part was true. He always got himself in trouble before he never took the step back and reasoned with his actions. But it was a natural feeling, acting on impulse. He wasn't like Tenka who could predict future steps and execute them perfectly.

For some reason, hearing Matthew's sarcasm brought a faint, amused smile on his lips. It was better than receiving no response at all. And it showed personality too. Maybe he was getting somewhere with the boy without charming him. The option remained open though. What other expressions and reactions could he pull from the boy with mere flirting? And speaking of flirting…

"Speaking of people with silly actions…" Atobe grabbed the letter from his bag and handed it to him. "The girl must have diminishing tastes, but it's a love letter for you."

Matt stared at it but didn't take it. He frowned slightly. It wasn't out of surprise; it was out of dread. One letter would cause a whole chain reaction and then he'd be flooded. "You shouldn't have taken it. I'm not going to read it." He pointed to the kitchen. "Trash can's over there, or better yet, burn it. Do you mind letting me borrow your notes? I want to get started on homework."

He let him look through his bag and take out the notes. As for the letter, Atobe didn't want to throw it away. Being the magnificent king, he was at least raised to be courteous to females. The letter should at least be read.

"Dear Matthew, I know it's only been a week since you've come to Hyoutei. I feel nervous for saying this so soon, but I have a connection with you. You're so sweet and kind. And-"

There was no time for more words for Matt practically tackled the king over, making a grab for the letter. He wasn't going to waste his breath demanding for the letter, and his leg was the last thing on his mind although it hurt like a bitch. So there he was on top of Atobe.

His extremely blue eyes widened at Matthew's attack. But he reacted in time, falling back onto the couch while holding the letter out of reach. His free hand firmly held the boy's shoulder and kept him away from advancing and possibly damaging his face.

With a smirk, Atobe used his superior strength and pushed the boy over. He preferred being on top anyway. Taking advantage of his surprise, he pinned both wrists over the boy's head.

The letter was held teasingly over his head. "My, my, if you wanted to read it yourself, all you had to do was ask _ore-sama_."

"Fuck you, Atobe. Now let me go and let me destroy the damn letter!" Matt struggled under his grasp. If his leg wasn't broken, he could easily push him off with his legs alone.

The king made a face, displeased. "That's not how you should be talking to _ore-sama_." He didn't relinquish his hold and kept the boy there until he apologized.

Outside the house, a sleek car pulled up. The driver frowned when he saw the limousine in his usual parking space. Someone was most likely inside, but it seemed strange that Matt would have a friend over, especially a wealthy one.

He looked to his companion in the passenger seat, a smile on his face. "Go in ahead of me, darling." He shut off the engine and handed her the keys. "I'll get your stuff."

"All right, Akriel." The female giggled and accepted the keys. Even though the blonde man spoke Japanese, his French accent was evident, somehow making his speaking very alluring.

She opened the door and dashed through the heavy rain to the porch. After figuring out which key was the right one, she slid it open.

Meanwhile, Akriel walked over to the driver's side of the limo and knocked on the window.

The chauffeur looked startled after rolling down the window. He had been sitting outside for almost half an hour, but he couldn't move without Atobe-sama's orders. "Yes?"

"Uh… whose the owner?" inquired the blonde, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm sorry, sir. Atobe-sama had me wait out here. He's still inside."

"Right…"

The surname he recognized instantly although he couldn't believe it. Matt didn't like rich asses. Before he could inquire who 'Atobe-sama' was for certainty, he heard a shriek. It distinctly sounded like his female companion and he cursed under his breath. He hoped Matt didn't do anything stupid. The boy always had a dislike for the company he brought.

Akriel sprinted inside towards the female, who was completely red in the face and shocked. "Hey, hey, what's going-? What the fuck?!"

"_Okaeri_…" Matt grumbled, still in his pinned down position. His face was just as red as the girl's, and he was mortally wounded. Never had he been embarrassed to this extent before. He was seriously going to get Atobe back for this.

_Author's Note: On a serious note, the new characters mentioned (Kameko and Akriel) belong to me. They're my other OCs. I can't believe I forgot to mention it but Lucie the cat is also in a sense another OC._

_Has anyone noticed that I suck at expressing Atobe? I can't take him seriously because of how ridiculous he is, so I struggle on how to portray him, even though there are arrogant people like him who exist (*cough Tenka cough*). I've tried my best though._

_I did mention that Matt didn't live alone, right? RIGHT (*being paranoid*)? So enter Akriel Evrard, the legal guardian of Matthew. He is 18, and that is all the information you get about him. More information about him and his relationship with Matt will be found out in future chapters. But you can see where Matt got his dirty mouth, huh?_

_And all readers out there are lucky this was a long chapter. I couldn't find a good point to divide it, so here's an abrupt ending!_

_One last note even though I wrote too much, the quote from __A Tale of Two Cities__ rightfully belongs to its author – Charles Dickens._

_I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter! Next update shall be up in a few days!_


	8. Chapter 7 - Hyoutei

**_Hyoutei_**

**7**

"Well… this is surprising…"

Akriel continued rubbing the back of his neck as he surveyed the scene. Matt was underneath another male that he didn't know. And he was clearly pinned down with the male still straddling him. Oh, and there was the triumphant smirk on the male's face. Still, he suspected it wasn't leaning towards rape. He was very familiar with sex and its attached emotions, atmospheres, objects, etc. A piece of paper definitely meant a different scenario.

The blonde had been in situations like this, except he was the one on top of whoever wanted to fuck while Matt would simply turn around and slam the door. Seeing his godson in this position… well, he wanted to get a kick out of it. Matt was so cute when he blushed, even though he'd probably try to kill him later.

Atobe merely kept his smile up. Matt's face rivaled the color of a tomato, and he rather enjoyed it. Though the added audience wasn't a part of his plans, he successfully had the boy's full attention.

"Wipe the smug look off your face…" The boy grumbled and turned his head away. Fuck, this didn't look good.

"Wow…" The female laughed behind her hand. "Were we this anxious when we were in junior high school?" Her initial shock seemed to have dissipated.

He shrugged. "I was living in France at the time. I don't know how it works here. Even the most controlled person will give into his desires… or hers." The added portion was because females had an amazingly strong sex drive when given the chance. His gaze shifted towards the unnamed male. "Do I need to ask or should I assume this was spiraling towards rough sex? Don't give me sentiments about being underage. Hormones are hormones after all." He winked at the girl, earning a giggle.

Despite the position he was in, Matt snorted. "_Et elle n'est pas l'une de vos conqu__ê__tes_?"

Atobe cocked an eyebrow along with Akriel. But his reasons were far different than whatever the blonde had in mind. He hadn't known Matthew would be fluent in French. Regardless of what language he spoke, his words were still as blunt as always.

Akriel chuckled and shook his head. Matt never missed a chance to poke at his sexual habits. "_Je peux faire des amis et pas seulement baiser copains_.We have an exam to prepare for, which means we actually should get going." He turned to the female. "Do you mind if you wait in the car, darling? We could go out and eat instead. It's my treat."

"Sure, I don't mind." She smiled brightly and waved to the boys before leaving.

Matt was finally able to sit up, shooting a glare at Atobe for not moving earlier. Then he sighed heavily and ruffled his hair because of all of this was annoying.

"Now… tell me what happened, Matt." Akriel leaned against the wall with his arm crossed.

The story didn't take long to explain. Matt spoke the entire time, repeatedly implying how much he disliked Atobe. As his godson spoke, Akriel couldn't help but be amused. Honestly, the boy was so unpredictable in his actions that they were comical.

Once the story was finished, he remarked, "There are a lot better methods than throwing yourself at someone. Take me for example. I would simply smile and seduce it out of his hands."

"I'm not like you, Akriel." The boy waved him off. "You shouldn't keep your 'darling' waiting. I'll be fine."

"I don't know… you didn't seem to be faring well when I came in. Do I need to play the father role?" teased the blonde, although it never hurt to be serious when necessary.

"We are only boys. And I do have a level of self-control. I can assure Matt is safe in my hands." He moved so his legs were crossed and achieved an air of reassurance and confidence. The smile on his face suggested the same as well, not a trace of smugness.

_'Bullshit…'_ both Matt and Akriel called in their minds.

Akriel decided to play along. The kid looked fun to have around. He was a lot like how the blonde was around that age. "As long as you play safe, I have no qualms. Don't give me that shocked look, Matt. It's time you had some fun too. But since I feel that I should say this, Atobe, don't fuck around or you'll hear from me. The name Akriel Evrard shall strike fear in your heart." His blue eyes turned to steel in an instant, piercing through the kid's façade.

Even Atobe understood that he shouldn't mess around. He had received countless of threats from powerful people before. He stared Akriel in the eye, steady and sure. "You won't be disappointed with me. I'm trustworthy."

Matt frowned, troubled, and didn't look at either male. What had this situation become? He didn't even consider Atobe a friend or even a kind acquaintance. So why did his godfather place pressure on him? This was Atobe they were talking about; he was probably doing this to uphold his public image, that he wasn't a bad person.

He didn't buy it. The silver-haired boy wasn't going to play nice. Atobe wasn't doing this for Matt's sake. He was doing it for himself, and Matt was going to prove it. Why Akriel was so accepting of him, he didn't want to know. He didn't trust the pompous ass.

A smirk appeared on Akriel's lips. A challenge coming from an arrogant fourteen-year-old was refreshing. "Good because I don't like seeing my dear godson with friends he will be unhappy with. I'll be home late, Matt. Call me if anything." He gave Atobe one last look before departing.

It was 5:23 PM the moment Matthew kicked Atobe out of the house. Now the Hyoutei captain was riding in his limo, headed for home. His fingers tapped impatiently against his lap. He required a much needed bath after what he went through.

What was supposed to be a simple delivery of a love letter became an agreement to something he unwittingly was pulled into. How did he get forced into a situation like this? Akriel Evrard was a worthy man to prove wrong. He knew the name and its reputation very well, though it made the situation worse. How did Matthew end up living with a man like Evrard – the son of two renowned lawyers in all of France?

_"He's my godfather, eighteen, and a law student. That's all you get to know, Atobe." Matt seemed warier of Atobe and completely avoided his gaze. He hurriedly went through the notes, not caring if they looked more like scribbles than actual words._

_Atobe leaned back on the couch and let out one sigh before reassembling his composure._

_"…look, you don't have to do what he says. Akriel is just watching out for me and he intimidates everyone when my welfare is in jeopardy. And to be honest, I don't think you want to put in the effort proving yourself. It's not worth it."_

_"You underestimate my prowess." Despite his irritation, his voice was light and playful as though he hadn't been subtly threatened before._

_"It's not about Akriel. Like I said, he's doing it for my sake. Regardless to what he says, I don't need someone trying to be friends with me when I'm not worth it." He left it at that and handed the notes back. "Now get out. You've overstayed your welcome."_

Atobe closed his eyes and held the bridge of his nose between his fingers. He had to be calm before he got home. His parents were home and guests were coming by later for dinner. At least it was Tenka and his family. They were a decent crowd. Now that he was in the privacy of his limo, he could act as frustrated as he needed.

Remembering that frowns gave him unattractive wrinkles, he relaxed his features and tilted his head back. Once all of the obligations were out of the way, then he could figure out what he wanted to do.

* * *

Matt knew he was going to have the worst nightmares after taking prescribed narcotics for his leg pain. But he was desperate to get some sleep. Atobe's visit did not sit well with him and neither did Akriel's involvement.

He plopped onto the mattress and waited for the effects to take hold of him. Minutes passed in empty, blank silence until his eyes slowly closed. Before he fully knocked out, he admitted that it was difficult for Atobe to keep his image. It had to be hell with a world filled with judgmental people.

* * *

The redhead burst out laughing after Atobe related the entire story to him. From start to finish, he was thoroughly entertained for Matt was just the unpredictable brat he was. Akriel's appearance made it all the more better.

"I'm sure you've heard of Akriel's reputation. Well, at least his parents'. He's just like them in terms of the profession; he's a lawyer in heart and soul." He sipped on his tea while keeping an eye on the kids.

"Unfortunately, I fell for his game." Atobe still sounded miffed over it.

"This is probably one of those rare moments, but I agree with Matt to some degree. It's not worth trying to befriend him for the wrong reasons. Akriel sees that, so will Matt, and so will I. We're just as insightful as you are."

"Outrageous…" He sighed dramatically, losing interest in his tea. "But I am a man of my word. The one who will win will be _ore-sama_."

Tenka carefully looked over Atobe with his red-violet eyes. Leave it to Atobe to remain self-confident. Sometimes, he wondered if he knew when to give up. But that wouldn't put him where he was, now would it? Besides, he could get a kick out of it. Akriel wasn't the only one seeing a funny relationship happening.

"Honestly, you don't know when to stop. I guess that's why you're the king." A coy smile curled on his lips. "Just take it easy with Matt. I'll admit I had a hard time getting to know him. Can't have him snapping and doing something stupid again…"

Before he could go into further detail, his attention went to the children playing. "Oi, Yoshio, Yukio, you better not break that!" He got out of his seat and went to prevent whatever devious plans they intended to execute.

Atobe took the moment to roll his eyes as he watched Tenka scold the twin cousins. He at least understood Tenka's motives and behavior. But it wasn't the redhead he needed to worry about. Besides, he could easily place vengeance on him no problem. He wasn't blind about the casual moves Tenka placed on Oshitari.

Later that evening, he winded down with a hot shower and relaxed into a chair. Though his muscles were fully at ease, his mind was not. The more he contemplated, the more irritated he got. Tenka seemed to look at Matthew as a ticking time bomb although they were friends while Akriel seemed to insist that it was the worth the effort. And he didn't forget how the boy saw himself as. He held himself in low regard.

"Hmph… what a complicated boy he is… but all challenges aren't meant to be taken lightly." He smiled as though he saw his goal in front of him. A plan had formed in his head. He was Keigo Atobe and didn't know when to give up. And he didn't plan on stopping now. "_Ore-sama no bigi ni yoi na_, _neko-chan_."

_Author's Note: I'm not going to translate the portions in French. Looking up the translations doesn't take much effort. And I actually don't know how to speak French. The sentences are courtesy of using Google Translate._

_If it's not clear, yes, Akriel is the type of guy who sleeps around. There's actually a whole background about it, but he's not the main character. He's just there to force Atobe into situations he doesn't know that he's getting into! :DDDD_

_I still find difficulties writing in Atobe's view. .-. I think I give him too much credit, but he is intelligent and determined, just too much of a pompous ass to actually care about what's in front of him unless it involves himself. The sort of situation he's in does involve himself with his pride on the line but at the same time involves Matt. So that's how I am hopefully advancing their relationship. I hope what's happened so far makes sense. I'm rambling again, so sorry. ;-;_

_Thank you for reading. I hoped you enjoyed the chapter!_


	9. Chapter 8 - Hyoutei

_**Hyoutei**_

**8**

Matt struggled getting himself through the door. Class hadn't started yet, but he didn't want to risk being late. He hated being on crutches with a heavy backpack stuffed with everything in it. His head pounded, particularly at his forehead, and he felt like shit. He was right about taking narcotics. They invoked a worse nightmare than before. No, it was worse than a nightmare because it was of his childhood. His mind automatically woke up at 2:37 AM, but his body could hardly respond under the medication. He ended up drifting between reality and nightmare, unable to tell which was which.

He hobbled all the way to his desk and fell into his seat, resting his head against the cool surface. Technically, the doctor suggested he stay home for a few days, except Matt would have none of it. He didn't want to remain in the empty, quiet house the whole time.

Slowly, his stinging eyes closed shut, grateful for a few minutes of sleep. But a pompous ass loomed over him. He could tell from the faint cologne the ass favored.

"Aren't you going to say 'good morning' to the magnificent _ore-sama_?"

He refused to open his eyes; instead, they squeezed shut tighter pretending Atobe was another horrible nightmare that he wanted gone.

Since he didn't leave, he forced himself to speak in hopes of driving him away, "People say hello to you every day, Atobe. My greetings would hardly make a difference."

If he was going to act the same way he acted, then the silver-haired boy felt no qualms in responding the same way he should.

"You'll be surprised. It allows me to know I'm on everyone's mind, including yours, _neko-chan_."

The boy flinched. It wasn't that he hadn't gotten used to the pet name; he said it to every girl and unfortunately to him. He learned to ignore it, but this time it sounded… different, like half-an-octave-lower different, and drawn out, very drawn out.

"…good morning. Now can you leave already?"

"That's all I needed to hear. And good morning to you too."

There was a rustle and then a muffled plop on his desk before Atobe finally left. Giving into his curiosity, Matt cracked an eye open and found a box of Pocky there. He picked it up in disbelief. What the hell did he give him Pocky for? Did a freaking 'good morning' mean that much to him?

Atobe kept his eyes forward although tempted to see what sort of face the boy had. A smirk fell into place as he strode towards his seat, right on time too. The teacher walked in a few minutes ago, scolding those not at their desks by now.

Once the morning formalities were out of the way, class proceeded, and Atobe was comfortable allowing his mind to wander. It was biology, a subject he excelled at just like the rest. Besides, the teacher was incompetent, not properly explaining the difference between 'cytoplasm' and 'cytosol'. He didn't bother correcting him. It wasn't worth his time now that his focus was on the silver-haired boy.

The encounter was short, but that was what he wanted. Some people had to be taught slowly that he was someone to be wanted and adored. Matthew might be a slower case, but nonetheless, he would succeed in persuading him to fall for his magnificence. Establishing a friendship came later; Matthew had to like him first.

Later on in the middle of lessons, he stole a quick look at the boy. Much to his disappointment, the boy hadn't opened the box. It remained at the corner of his desk like an unwanted bacterium for the past two periods. But making use of his perfect insight, it seemed as though Matthew was having an internal conflict. His silver eyes weren't focused on the lesson at all; they were trained on the box. His fingers rubbed against the top of the desk, tempted to snatch it up.

Then their eyes met, and Matthew's eyes hardened. He swiftly averted his eyes from both Atobe and the box to the whiteboard. But when the king turned away as well, he heard a faint tear followed by a crunch.

Atobe made the right decision by asking for a box from Jirou last minute. Regardless of the directed detestment, he felt proud for his insightful decision-making. Like Jirou, the boy was easily influenced with sweets as the reward. It was entertaining seeing him fight back too. A mental note was made to order a couple hundred boxes of various flavors.

The Pocky was gone in three minutes flat, despite his abstinence, despite the rule against eating in class, despite where it came from originally. Matt felt ashamed for giving into his addiction. Most likely, the pompous ass had that arrogant smirk on his face. To avoid this from happening again, he swore he would stop eating it. But this was _Pocky_ he was talking about. Ever since he discovered the popular snack, he ate it constantly. It was the first sweet he ever ate and, well, his mother bought it for him against his father's orders.

The silver-haired boy sighed as he waited for second period class to be over for recess. He needed a good walk although his leg still signaled with shots of pain that it was not okay. He already got the message the moment he broke it.

In order to defer his attention from his impatience and pain, he spun a pen between his fingers. It silently flipped between the gaps along his hand down to his pinky and ring finger and back up to his index and middle finger. He subconsciously repeated the motions while his thoughts drifted off.

It still irked him – Atobe's queer generosity and behavior. Actually, his behavior was normal, but didn't seem to go well with the Pocky. He couldn't figure out the purpose behind it. There weren't many reasons to in the first place. Maybe Atobe wanted to show he paid attention to his interests, but that seemed weak. It was better than thinking Atobe wanted to share though. Did the ass even like Pocky? Or more reasonable question would be: had he ever eaten one before?

As irrelevant and probably idiotic as his random curiosity was, he still wanted to know. Now if only he could get his hands on another box…

"Matt-kun…"

He snapped his head up and the pen fell through his fingers with a clatter. Recess had to have started without him knowing. Looking up at the girl in front of him, he frowned slightly, unable to match a name with her face. She looked like every girl who had a crush on him.

"Um… I was wondering if you got my letter…" She didn't look into his eyes and rocked on her feet slightly.

"Oh… right…" His voice trailed off.

Rejections weren't his forte although he had done them before. Girls never took them well, no matter how gentle they were made. Most of the time, they asked if there was someone already special in his life, which was seriously annoying and personal.

Also, he hadn't read the letter. Atobe had 'graciously' tried reading it to him, and he responded with a tackle.

He spoke as bluntly as possible, knowing this would hurt her, "I just transferred in about a week ago, so what do you know about me? And besides, I'm not interested in a relationship as of now nor do I care if you insist on waiting for me. I'm not easy to convince."

It was difficult keeping his eyes on her as sorrow overtook her. He didn't feel the usual pang of guilt though. Perhaps he finally got used to breaking people's hearts. Girls got over him quicker if he was flat-out harsh.

Matt watched the girl run off as she fought back tears. He sighed softly, slumped in his seat, and dug his hands in his pockets. She ran past the desk Atobe sat at (now empty), and he half-wondered what he would say about this. He'd probably say something about how it was wrong to treat a lady with a cold tone.

Remembering that he had meant to take a walk, he tenderly rose from his desk, held tightly onto his crutches, and left. His thoughts went back to how he would get Atobe to eat a stick, and he forgot about the girl. An irritated look formed on the boy's face. He was giving the pompous ass too much attention in his thoughts for his own liking.

Tenka sauntered down the halls, grinning at girls and their flirty waves. He didn't have anything better to do and was quite bored. Then he recalled Oshitari disappearing for the library. The blue-haired male completely avoided his advances for lunch as well. Actually, he had been avoiding him altogether. That never was a good sign.

Once inside the library, he immediately went towards the romance section. He caught onto the tennis genius's appreciation for the genre, although it really was more of an obsession. By now, Oshitari probably had read most of the novels stocked here.

As easily predicted, Tenka found the male, reading the cover flaps of a book. Without warning, he plucked it from his hands and earned a disgruntled expression.

Paying no mind to the glare, he read the title and casually said, "This is a rather innocent choice. Why don't you find something different? The ending's predictable."

"You clearly have no taste for romance." Oshitari snatched the book back. "I like the author's style."

He shrugged, unimpressed. "Why don't you try Sidney Sheldon's The Other Side of Midnight, hm? Well, you can't find it here, but the nearest public library should have it. Or better yet, why don't I lend it to you? My aunt's a romance enthusiast like you."

It was an intriguing sight watching Oshitari try to refuse his offer. He was probably the type that liked to experiment, which worked to his advantage.

He pushed up his glasses and promptly nodded. "Fine, I'll borrow it. Now if you'll excuse me…"

The male swiftly pushed past and headed towards the librarian. But Tenka followed after him to see if he could get anything interesting out of him again.

"Ah, Oshitari-kun," the librarian said, smiling, "I don't have any of the books you were asking for, but I did run a quick check at the local library." She handed him a piece of paper with the book classification on it. "The librarian there said it's available."

"Thank you and I would like to check these out." He immediately put the paper in his pocket and handed her the books for check-out.

Thanks to his experience in boxing, he noticed the swiftness of putting the paper away as though Oshitari didn't want anyone seeing it. But his trained eye caught the first three numbers of the book – 347. They were the only numbers he needed, regardless of the specific numbers that came after or the title above it. In the Dewey Decimal System, the number 347 corresponded to law, precisely civil law.

There was an unsettling churn in his stomach. He didn't like the sudden interest Oshitari had for law books because he knew for a fact the genius excelled in mathematics, not law or government. It was possible that Tenka could be over-thinking this, but he wasn't going to take any chances. Familial cases fell under civil laws, which made the redhead think of Matt's case.

"Did you need anything else?" asked Oshitari, somewhat coldly.

A practiced smile hid Tenka's suspicions. "Nothing at all, Yuushi-kun, nothing that important," he paused shortly, "but I would like to tell you about that novel I'm letting you borrow. There's a lesson I got out of it."

He received an expectant look.

"You shouldn't become obsessed with someone's affairs unless you want an unhappy ending."

Oshitari's eyes widened slightly, feeling the back of his neck break into a cold sweat. Now he wasn't too eager about reading that book. And what the hell was this feeling? Was that a threat Tenka had made?

Almost instantly, the redhead cracked up. He began to laugh. "You should see yourself. You have such a serious look on your face." He playfully punched his shoulder and kept laughing. "It's just a book, dude."

He growled and smacked his fist away. He hated being toyed with. "I will see you at lunch, Morita." He grabbed his books and walked away.

Tenka didn't follow this time, his smile still plastered on his face. The troubled look he saw meant his message had been understood. Now he hoped that whatever Yuushi Oshitari was researching would come to an end in the near future.

_Author's Note: On an irrelevant topic, I find the story behind the middle finger and its meaning quite interesting and amusing. I meant to have Matt flip off Atobe, but after some debate, I thought against it. He wouldn't do it in a classroom at least. And for some reason, I really like the word 'qualm'._

_I honestly have no idea why Matt is dead serious about knowing if Atobe likes Pocky or not. I just thought it'd be funny. He's a curious boy and loves Pocky hardcore. He makes enemies with those who don't like it; haters beware._

_If anyone has read the novel I mentioned in the story, high-five!_

_I hope you've all enjoyed reading this chapter. The next update should be within three days. Just a notice for readers, I have officially started college, so I am unsure how regular my updates will be. I still intend to post within 3-5 days, so I will try my best to keep you all updated and whether or not there will be an irregular update._


	10. Chapter 9 - Hyoutei

_Author's Quick Note: Because it seems like Prince of Tennis defies time and the weather seems like summer all the time, I actually no idea of when the matches ever started. So let's just say the setting currently is after Shishidou cut his hair but before the match between Hyoutei and Seigaku._

_**Hyoutei**_

**9**

Choutarou sprinted up the steps to where Shishidou was on the roof. He wondered why he was needed so badly. Either way, it didn't matter. He wasn't doing anything important, just working on a violin composition for a recital the evening after the match with Seigaku. Shishidou-san sounded distracted too, so maybe it was a favor he needed.

Just as the silver-haired second-year passed through the door, there was a sharp _bang!_ The boy blinked when he saw the entirety of the tennis team standing around a table and Matt-san too. Well, Jirou-san was asleep, not a part of the table; Oshitari-san paid more attention to the novel in his hand rather than the game in front of him; Atobe-san wasn't even playing but he kept snapping his fingers and told Kabaji to 'go'; Tenka-san simply watched. It seemed like they were playing some card game, but it looked dangerous and tense with everyone so serious.

"Dammit, Gakuto, I got to it first!"

"Are you blind, Shishidou? Most of my hand is covering the cards, so I get the pile!"

"Sh-Shishidou-san…?" said Choutarou, uneasily.

"Oh, Choutarou, you're here." His _senpai_ turned away from the game for a moment and scooted over, roughly nudging Hiyoshi. "Come on over and play with us."

"Okay…" He obeyed and stood next to him, staring blankly at the table. "…what are we playing?"

"Egyptian war," said Matt. He extended his hand out. "Since Choutarou just got here, we should start over."

Gakuto snapped, "No way! I was totally winning!"

"Afraid you're going to lose this round?" The dash specialist challenged him with a smug smirk.

"Hell no!" He dropped the cards into Matt's waiting hand, never taking his eyes off of Shishidou.

Choutarou was afraid to get between his _senpai_, although it usually was him that held Shishidou back whenever he attempted to tackle the acrobatic down. The best method was to get him distracted. Also… he wondered where the table came from.

"Um… where'd the table come from?"

Practically everyone gave him a funny look, including Shishidou. The weight of the stares made the boy keep his eyes on the table. He wanted to shrink after asking such a stupid question like that.

"I am the king here," Atobe said with a flick of his hair, "and I can deem a table to be brought here as I wish."

Matt rolled his eyes, while shuffling the deck. "Basically, Kabaji brought it up." He shrugged off the look he got from Atobe and chomped down on some Pocky.

All the boy could do was nod his head and not look more like an idiot than he already was. But he didn't know how to play, so he would look like an idiot anyway.

Shishidou declared out of the blue, "Let's go over the rules since Gakuto keeps slapping in at the wrong moment."

"Shut up! It's your fault for feinting all the time."

"That's the point, idiot."

The two glared at each other again as Matt dealt out cards. He took the liberty of explaining the rules for Choutarou's sake.

Hiyoshi nonchalantly said, "_Gekokujo_…"

"What was that?!" Gakuto's attention went on the second-year.

Matt appeared to be unbothered by their bickering and continued explaining the rules.

By the end of it, Choutarou was left more confused than before. The concept was simple: slap the pile at the right moment and win by getting all of the cards. But he didn't like the combinations and the rule with royal cards. There were too many opportunities to slap in, so the fastest person would win. And since Kabaji was substituting for Atobe, those slaps were going to hurt.

"You'll learn as you play." Shishidou said encouragingly and smiled.

"_H-Hai…_" Choutarou avoided his eyes, nervous and afraid to make a fool out of himself again. He'd most likely be the first one out.

Because Matt was the dealer, he put down the first card. And then it went around the table starting on his left. Soon enough, the game picked up its pace as doubles and sandwiches came into light. Slap-ins happened quite often. Most of the time, Shishidou and Gakuto would slap the pile at the same time and start bickering. But slowly, Choutarou understood what to do and was starting to have fun. But he kept apologizing whenever he slapped too hard on someone's hand.

There were those rare moments where Choutarou's hand would fall upon Shishidou's, causing the passive boy to instantly draw his hand back. He'd apologize fervently, unable to ignore the sparks that warranted from the touch.

"You don't have to apologize. It's just a game," Shishidou said after receiving another apology. He flexed his fingers and furrowed his eyebrows together.

"I know… but I don't want to hurt anyone…"

"Well, you won't be hurting anyone anymore. You lost all your cards, and so did you, Shishidou. Matt got the pile…" Gakuto said, pissed. He was the first to lose his cards.

Tenka pointed out, wearing his signature smirk, "Now it's between Kabaji and Matt. I doubt any of us could slap back in now."

The redhead had a good point too. Choutarou glanced between the two remaining players. It had been amazing watching Matt get the pile. His hand would be there before anyone noticed. Kabaji wasn't bad either since Atobe was the one dictating his moves. And _buchou_'s reflexes were as swift as Matt's.

"Why don't you actually play, Atobe?"

Matt had asked with a slight frown. He seemed unhappy with how the game turned out, although no one could figure out why. It was normal among the Hyoutei regulars to see Kabaji used as Atobe's replacement.

Atobe raised an elegant brow. "I find it unnecessary to risk damaging my hand in something as barbaric as slapping for mere cards."

"Hm…" The silver-haired boy glanced to the side, his finger twirling around the end of his Pocky. "…are you afraid of losing at a _commoner's_ hand?"

Choutarou stared at Matt with an open jaw. He couldn't believe how bold he was. It was rare to see anyone speak to Atobe like that. Well, Shishidou would, but over time, he learned to respect him as a captain.

Atobe looked somewhat annoyed, but his expression returned to normal and he flicked his wrist back for Kabaji to move. "A king doesn't take insults like that lightly."

At that moment, Jirou suddenly popped up between Shishidou and Hiyoshi. "This is interesting. Who do you think will win?"

Hiyoshi shrugged, somewhat irritated that he got shoved aside again.

And so the game continued. Tenka had been right about being unable to slap in. Choutarou found no opening, more concentrated on seeing who would win rather than getting back in the game. It amazed him how fast they were. The entire time, he couldn't figure out who would win. But he could tell from their faces that they were serious.

When a doubles appeared, Matt's hand reached out, but was caught by Atobe's. The captain slammed it down on the table. His focus wasn't on the game anymore. It was on the boy's wrist.

Everyone frowned or raised an eyebrow at their captain. What had gotten into him? There were rules against preventing another from slapping. And they all knew Atobe believed cheating was improper.

"Atobe, what are you doing?" Gakuto was the first to speak, frowning.

He didn't pay any heed to his question. His other hand unbuttoned the sleeve and pushed it up. "I don't like it when my opponent goes easy on me."

Choutarou peered closer and saw the custom-made wrist weights on the boy. But he was just as confused as everyone else. No one seemed to have noticed that he was wearing them. And Tenka had an odd expression on his face. It wasn't his typical smirk, but a wide grin.

Matt, on the other hand, showed no emotion. His silver eyes looked directly to Atobe. "Believe me; I have a problem with them too. But I can't take them off." He pointed at the minuscule lock. "I don't have the key either."

"So who has it?" Jirou asked in his same happy tone. As always, he didn't seem disturbed by the odd turn of events.

"That would be me," said Tenka, twirling a key ring on his index finger. A bunch of silver keys fell upon each other as he threw up the ring and caught it. His grin never faltered despite the annoyed look he got from both Matt and Atobe. "Sorry, but this isn't the right situation to take them off."

"That's pretty lame, Tenka." Shishidou commented with folded arms.

The redhead shrugged. He continued twirling, tossing up, and catching the ring, deep in thought.

"I should point out that the game hasn't ended." Oshitari's presence was made known and his hand was on the untouched pile of cards.

"What the hell, Yuushi?!" His partner exclaimed. He glared at him and looked away, only receiving the trickster's smug smile. "I can't believe I didn't think of that…"

Tenka's grin had lessened. "You look like you want something. You had no interest in the game until now."

"I simply want a tennis match against Matt, of course, after he recovers," was his response.

Tenka chuckled, his repetitive motions still going on and his grin widening again. He said something in a foreign language, most likely speaking to Matt. The boy responded back in the same tongue.

As they conversed, Choutarou couldn't help but be impressed. He didn't care about what they were saying; it was how they sounded was impressive. From what he could determine, they were conversing in French. Matt seemed to be comfortable speaking. His voice had taken a particular softness that was much nicer to hear rather than his cold tone.

"They sound… eloquent, don't they, Shishidou-san?" He smiled at him, though it lessened at his _senpai_'s less than happy expression.

Shishidou grunted and didn't speak. He hardly looked at his _kouhai_ either.

Although it was normal for Shishidou to scowl at practically everything, Choutarou learned from the two years of being his close friend that each scowl was different. This one was for when he was annoyed at someone, given the narrowed eyes and the frown that was meant to be seen. The only problem was figuring out who he was annoyed at. It wasn't Atobe for their captain was oddly silent and it was the same with the acrobatic. He followed his _senpai_'s gaze and frowned, learning that he was scowling at Matt and Tenka. What was wrong with them?

"Shishidou-san…" He said softly.

"What?" His head turned to the side, away from Choutarou. Was he sulking?

"Are you all right?" Hesitantly, he reached out and touched his arm lightly. As embarrassing as it was, sometimes, Shishidou-san looked like someone who needed a hug.

He snapped, "I'm fine."

"A-All right…" And he dropped it, but he couldn't help stealing glances at him.

A heavy thud caught the Scud Server's attention. He turned his head and found Matt's weights off.

"How much does this weigh…?" Hiyoshi picked it up and frowned by its weight. Inside, there was the weight, which he read aloud, "two kilograms."

"Are you kidding me? How much do you actually weigh, Matt?!"

Matt reddened slightly at Gakuto's question. He grumbled out, "That's a little personal."

"That's what a girl would say."

"Without the weights, I'm about forty-five kilograms."

"…were you supposed to be born a girl or something?"

For once, the silver-haired boy snapped back, "You shouldn't be talking. We're practically the same in stature and weight."

Before Gakuto could retort, Atobe snapped his fingers and received their attention. "_Ore-sama_ doesn't like to be kept waiting. We do have a game to continue, in which the winner will be me. And just so you know, _neko-chan_, once I win, I expect you to refer to me as 'king' from now on as will Oshitari."

"Sorry, Atobe, I'm afraid you'll lose against me." There wasn't a trace of arrogance in Matt's voice, but he looked certain. He twisted his wrist a few times. "You'll find out what I want afterwards. As will you, Oshitari."

Once again, the game commenced, but at a different pace than before. Everything turned into Matt's favor after removal of the wrist weights. His speed increased dramatically. The cards were pulled towards him before either Atobe or Oshitari could reach the pile. No one doubted now that Matt would lose.

Egyptian war ended with Matt having all fifty-two playing cards in his hands. He stretched his arms while letting out a long yawn. Atobe upheld a cool look as though he was taking the loss like the self-proclaimed king he was. Oshitari merely nodded his acknowledgement and pushed up his glasses.

"Oshitari has to spend a day at Tenka's place, and Atobe has to give me rides whenever I want them until I recover." That was all Matt said in regards to the bet, packing up the cards and getting back on his crutches. "I'll see you after your tennis practice, Atobe." He left and made awkward movements to get past the door and down the stairs.

Tenka chuckled. "The bell's about to ring, so we should get this table back too."

Atobe snapped his fingers for Kabaji to take care of it. "I need to talk to you, Tenka."

The redhead nodded and departed with him, Kabaji following behind with the table. Hiyoshi muttered his farewell and walked away with Gakuto ranting along. Oshitari went along as well after reminding Jirou that they should go, who followed.

All who were left were Choutarou with Shishidou. Somehow, it was awkward being left alone with him despite their close friendship. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence either to be left alone with him. They always walked him after school, so why was the silver-haired second-year so nervous this time? Was it because Shishidou-san had something against Matt and Tenka?

"We should go too, Shishi-…" His voice trailed off when his _senpai_ walked towards the railing of the roof.

"Just go on ahead of me, Choutarou. I'll see you at practice." He leaned over the railing, shoulders in a slump.

Again, the pose Shishidou was in gave the second-year an urge to hug him. What was it about the smaller male that made him want to? Shishidou loathed hugs because he believed they were lame and worthless to perform in public. They were gestures that couples made, and only couples. Choutarou had a different opinion on them, but never made it known; instead, he had nodded for his _senpai_'s sake.

They were alone, so a hug could be used. But knowing that would only increase his irritation, Choutarou decided to stand with him. His hands held the cool railing, and he turned his head to him. A sheepish smile appeared on his lips when he didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry, Shishidou-san…"

"What the hell are you apologizing for, you idiot?"

"Because I don't know how to make you feel better… you're annoyed."

He sighed, shaking his head. "It's about our next tennis match. I almost got kicked out of regulars again. I refuse to lose from now on."

Hearing that he was annoyed about tennis and not about Matt or Tenka or anyone else brightened up Choutarou. This was a topic he could handle.

"You earned your spot back, Shishidou-san. Even Atobe acknowledges your hard work, since we're still partners. And we worked hard, so there's no way we could lose."

It seemed to do the trick for his _senpai_ couldn't help but smile at him. "Yeah, you're right, Choutarou. We'll get a sure victory against Seigaku."

At that moment, the bell sounded that lunch had ended. They could see from the roof people rushing inside or else be caught late.

"I'll see you at practice, Shishidou-san. We can train afterwards." He wanted to stay and walk down with him, but decided against it. Sometimes, he wondered if he was overly-attached to him that it was annoying.

Once Choutarou was off the roof, Shishidou let out a heavy sigh, bowing his head in his hands. The upcoming tennis match was the least of his worries. He had Choutarou on his side and together, they made a powerful team. He as sure as hell was not going to end up kicked off the team and unable to play with his partner.

But his real worries still concerned Choutarou. He didn't like how attentive he was on the new kid, Matt. The boy seemed to be everything that Choutarou liked from playing piano to playing tennis. He even heard that Matt had a cat. It was getting ridiculous. They had the same kind of pet! And he didn't want to get started on the fact that they both had silver hair. Why did it bug him how alike they were? They both seemed to like each other too.

"I'm so lame…" He said to himself.

_Author's Note: I'm getting a kick out of the Hyoutei tennis players right now. Just imagining them doing something other than tennis makes me smile. I don't know why. And I realize that Atobe only knows English and German… but I made it seem as though he understood French in Chapter 7, soooooo… now he magically knows French. Actually, 'rondo' is a French term, so… yeah, I don't know the extent of his 'prowess'._

_Writing in more of Choutarou's perspective was more difficult than I expected. It's not easy just writing how Matt and Tenka are when they're easier to understand through their point of view. I wanted to write a moment between him and Shishidou though. This probably wasn't my best chapter, so I apologize if it seems weird._

_I hope this chapter was enjoyed! Happy reading!_


	11. Chapter 10 - Hyoutei

_**Hyoutei**_

**10**

After school, Matt didn't leave campus immediately since Atobe was now his personal ride home. It honestly wasn't what he had in mind for when he won the card game. Tenka suggested it even though he insisted that Atobe wasn't necessary. Whatever he had planned wasn't good for Matt's benefit; he knew it.

He walked into the now empty courtyard and sat down on the grass under a tree, his broken leg propped up on his backpack in front of him. It would be about three hours until tennis practice was over and he could go home. So what could he do now? Sleep, obviously.

Lifting his arms up to his head and falling back, he got comfortable. His thoughts began to drift again as he stared at the cloudy sky. Today was fairly all right, despite Oshitari's pain-in-the-ass meddling and Shishidou's inexplicable glare. The Pocky he got still bugged him. But the fact that today was _all right_ worried him. Sooner or later, every student on campus would look at him different. There would be someone who picked a fight with him for a stupid reason, like his hair or his eyes or his personality. Whatever wasn't liked, it was ridiculed. His secrets would be found out if Oshitari kept meddling. The pattern would restart at Hyoutei, and he wouldn't be able to escape from it. He hated relying on Tenka, but he seriously hoped he could talk some sense into Oshitari.

His negative thoughts grew dramatically, and he shut his eyes, willing them away. Being a pessimist sucked at times, though it was for good reason. People were hard to trust when he was different from everyone. His mother used to tell him that being different was better. He believed her words too until his father decided to twist those very words and torture it into his mind. Matt was still waiting for those words to be true.

_Fresh tears streamed down his damp cheeks, leaving hot tracks in their path. His silver eyes looked up and met the cruel brown eyes of his father. "Wh-What do you mean…? What do you mean?!"_

"_I mean what I said and you know it yourself, you naïve brat." He gripped his fingers through Matt's hand and held his skull tightly, shoving him in front of a mirror. "Have you met anyone that looks like you? Maybe one or two, but they're most likely as weird as you. Being different means you stand out, leaving you to be judged at the hands of normal people. You won't be able to escape that. You can try as much as you like, but when they look at you and how different you like, they'll remember you're not like them."_

_The boy compared his reflection to his father's. They didn't look alike, but the boy understood that not everyone looked alike. But then he remembered how a lot of boys had his father's black hair and brown eyes. There wasn't anyone who had silver hair or eyes like him. And he was small compared to them and they liked different things from him. He tried to fight away the comparisons, but they kept coming back in waves._

_He broke down crying, sobbing into his hands. His father finally left him alone. But not even the soothing words of his mother who had wrapped her arms around him were enough comfort. The damage was done._

Matt's expression turned to sadness after reliving that painful memory. He was only six at the time. As much as he wanted to forgive himself for being an innocent kid, he couldn't. His father's words lasted up until now, turning him into a person who didn't trust easily. Besides, that was the year his mother couldn't reassure him anymore. He was alone to deal with the abuse.

Sleep came to him easily in the daytime compared to nighttime. He simply had to think about his mother and fall right to sleep. Slowly, he drifted into a warmer, happier state, remembering the first time his mother told him about tennis and how fun it was.

* * *

"So… when are you free, Yuushi-kun?" Tenka spoke casually while performing his stretches.

"Any day would do." He responded simply.

For some reason, Tenka's stretches seemed deliberately long. He kept pausing in between in positions that showed off his muscles most. Oshitari supposed he was just as narcissistic as Atobe or he was being a flirt again, which was rather unconventional compared to how men wooed their fair maidens eloquently in his romance novels. And he wasn't a maiden either.

A frown came to his lips. That wasn't right… Oshitari wasn't a maiden or even female. He was clearly a male. Although Tenka made odd advances towards him, he assumed that was to annoy him or make him uncomfortable. It didn't occur to him that Tenka was homosexual.

"It's bisexual."

"Excuse me?" hissed the bespectacled male. Another quality of Tenka that annoyed him was the fact he seemed to know what he was thinking.

"I'm bisexual, in case you're wondering." He leaned to the side and stretched. "Took you long enough to figure it out. I swear, I thought I had to grope you or something until you finally got it. I put in more effort than usual with you."

"…you wanted me to know?" He didn't know where this was going, but at least knew that he wouldn't like the response he would soon receive.

"Yup," Tenka spoke with enthusiasm, amusement coloring his tone, "I have no shame in admitting the fact, but it's more fun seeing whether or not people notice."

"…how'd you know I thought you were homosexual rather than bisexual?"

He cocked an eyebrow while upholding his amused smile. "I'm not a mind reader. You were looking at me differently that's all, like a realization had struck you. How I know it's because you're wondering about my sexuality in general? Because, like I said, I intentionally wanted you to know."

"You're being cocky, Tenka…" Oshitari was not pleased. He didn't like these implications. It was as though the redhead assumed he thought about him on a regular basis, which was not true.

"Am I? Well, it doesn't matter. I just wanted you to know and now you do." He finished his stretches and grabbed his racket by its throat. "Anyway, in about… two weeks, keep your weekend open. That's when you'll be spending the day with me."

He watched him saunter away to play a match with Kabaji. That bastard… what sort of purpose was there to tell him he was bisexual other than for attention?

* * *

Practice went on smoothly. There was the only issue of choosing who would be playing after Shishidou's dramatics a few days ago. With Hiyoshi being knocked down to a reserve player, Tenka was incapable of participating in this match. Atobe would have to work out another compromise. Though Tenka joined only some time ago, he was an exceptional player and Sakaki wanted to test out his capabilities in official matches.

He waited until all 215 tennis club members were out before locking up. Kabaji was sent home early although it pained him a little. The second-year looked lost being sent home before him twice in a row.

Tenka was the last to leave, his eyes more on his phone rather than on Atobe. He spoke with a snap of his phone, "Matt's probably sleeping since he didn't pick up. I'll help you find him. Usually, he sleeps under a tree or in it, but given his broken leg, you're lucky. You don't have to spend time climbing up trees." He said it as though it was completely normal.

Why would he sleep in a tree? Atobe could imagine the kinks he would get for trying. Regardless, he followed Tenka towards the courtyard after locking the door.

"Oh yeah, I meant to play the innocent bystander, but I'm curious. How do you intend on becoming a trustworthy guy in Akriel's eyes? Do you intend on becoming friends with him? He told me about the Pocky while we were discussing the penalty for losing Egyptian war."

"He has to like me first. I intend to show him that I am someone to like and thus trust." His eyes narrowed slightly at Tenka. He had his own suspicious that required answers. "Now that you bring it up, I wonder why you suggested I give him rides. He obviously isn't too pleased with the arrangement. You're doing much more than playing an innocent bystander."

"I'm sorry. My involvement has been found out too easily." He didn't sound rather sincere. "Call it a whim or a coincidence, but I gave you a better way to interact with him."

Tenka for the most part was an irritating trickster from his teasing smiles to his intelligent mind. But that was why Atobe liked having him around. He was useful when it worked to both their advantage.

"_Ore-sama_ does not need your help although it was admittedly useful of you."

"I know you don't. Matt does." His expression turned solemn before he smiled again. "Anyway, let's find the lost kitty. I got to go home before my aunt sends someone to get me."

Atobe followed without another word, but he began seeing a bigger plot that he hadn't noticed before. Akriel's subtle persistence and Tenka's shameless involvement – they both were using him for Matthew's sake. And Matthew clearly knew what was going on judging from his outright proclamation that he didn't need friends. Although he hated being used, Atobe couldn't do anything at this point. He would still carry himself as planned for his pride was on the line too. And the challenge was too good to give up on.

Finding Matthew was easy since he was sprawled out under a tree and snoring lightly. His silver hair flicked and curled in an unruly manner as always. And his uniform was a mess of wrinkles. But he somehow managed to appear innocent. His expression was of complete peace, not a trace of those scowls or frowns he treated people with. It was quite possible that he was having a good dream.

"Found him. Well, see ya." Tenka turned to leave, finding trouble hiding his smirk.

Atobe shook his head and knew exactly what he was smirking about. He had been tasked to wake up Matthew and somehow manage to accomplish it without getting damaged. Taking caution, he stopped a mere meter away.

Arms crossed and he contemplated on how to go about waking him up. Since his presence unreasonably annoyed him, he spoke impatiently, "Do you plan on making _ore-sama_ wait, _neko-chan_?"

The still boy stirred with a groan. He didn't even bother opening his eyes again, his legs bent towards his chest. "Considering that you have to give me rides anyway, yes."

At least there was no physical damage. But it wouldn't do being demoted to a chauffeur. Atobe took a step forward and knelt down, wary of grass stains on his trousers. Whenever he had to wake up Jirou, he usually knew how to go about waking him up. Matthew's case was entirely different when he had to get the boy to like him. "You'll get sick if you keep lying there." They were the first words that came to mind.

Instead of gazing upon eyelids, Atobe saw silver. There was an unfathomable gleam in the irises that normally held all emotions.

"If you wish to marvel upon my beauty, you could do it in the limo." A smirk settled upon his fine features. "There is proper lighting."

"…you're lucky I had a good nap…" He rubbed his eyes and pulled himself up with his crutches. "But for two seconds of your life, can you stop being an ass?"

* * *

Atobe tapped his fingers impatiently against the seat as he watched Matthew ignore his existence. Infernal earphones plugged his ears, preventing the boy from hearing his amazing voice. He didn't face him either. He had his entire body turned away and paid more attention to whatever passed them outside than him. Had the boy not called him an ass, he wouldn't have minded. Silence was golden, but not when that crude insult rubbed him the wrong way. His arms crossed along with a leg on top of his other. He was not an ass. He was much more than that.

He noticed Matthew giving him a funny look. "Do you have something important to say or are you going to continue gawking at me?"

"Funny… and you're the one that likes being stared at…" He turned in his seat so he was facing him. He leaned in, his eyes narrowed slightly. "…are you… sulking?"

For a moment, he wanted to snap back, but stopped himself in time. No, it would be improper to snap back like a child. He had better composure than that. "I have no need to sulk over something as trivial as an insult."

Matthew blinked and stared a few seconds longer before shrugging. He didn't say anything afterwards, more attentive of the music in his ears rather than the king in front of him.

Before the conversation fell into silence again, Atobe pointed out, "You seem to be in a better mood."

"I said it before, I had a good nap." He pulled out both of his earphones. "Tenka noticed this before although I thought it was pretty obvious. I'm in higher spirits when I get enough sleep."

"You sleep as much as Jirou from what I could tell. I don't see how you're not as excitable as him." Now he was getting somewhere. This boy seemed a lot more open than he let on.

Another silence developed between them, and Atobe was sure he was not the cause. Whatever the reason was it resided in Matthew's mind. From what he could tell, something was on his mind.

"Would it interest you if I wanted to join the tennis club?"

Now it was Atobe's turn to give him a funny look. He didn't like abrupt changes in subject. He tried reading his eyes again and found them unfathomable again. Matthew was making an effort to hide his secrets. For the first time, he noticed that they had a desperate yet appealing glow to them. Treating this as a whim, he decided not to press for answers and answered the question, "I would if you hadn't expressed any interest when Tenka joined."

"I need to join a club. It's required at Hyoutei, you know that. And it fills up time." He paused in his speaking before he appeared annoyed. Now his eyes were easy to read.

"Hm… perhaps I would allow entrance. Oshitari did seem to hint that you have a tennis background. He wouldn't request a match unless he knows you play."

Another long pause and Matthew's eyes flashed for a split second. Sorrow, anger, regret – the mess of emotions were effortlessly read. Whatever memories he had associated with the sport, they were certainly negative.

"I… I was forbidden to join the tennis clubs at the other middle schools I attended." He exhaled heavily, his eyes glancing up as he recalled the memories. "Long story, short, the captains didn't like me. Even when they said I had to beat everyone in the club, they wouldn't let me join. I had humiliated them. So… I took it upon myself to join tournaments solo. Won every single one and would have had a fun time had I not made a few enemies along the way. I ended up quitting when it was clear I was unwanted. No one was eager to play me." His eyes were cast downwards at his hands, particularly at his wrists, which had the weights underneath the sleeves. "I honestly don't know why I'm telling you this crap. I'm not asking to join out of pity. I figured… well, since you've won a handful of tournaments yourself, you might actually know where I'm coming from." He added offhandedly, "This is probably the only subject I am comfortable speaking with you."

So the boy was thinking about him in the silence. How cute that he was willing to reach out to him despite his dislike. The blunt bit at the end rubbed him the wrong way though. He was a lot more sociable than him. What sort of subjects would the magnificent Atobe have trouble talking about? In any case, Matthew was a little too honest, but it was a nice touch hearing how he admitted their shared experiences.

After hearing such honesty, the king decided to take it upon himself to be helpful. His interest in him grew. Now he wanted to know what sort of thoughts Matthew had and what sort of experiences he had. Looking at his own experiences, striving to be king meant he would have to make enemies, in which they would be dealt with swiftly. He made a clear point that any who opposed could speak their mind. That was his intent – to make enemies and rivals in order to further prove his prowess. But what did the boy want out of tennis?

"I don't see what's bothering you, _neko-chan_. You should have taken those victories and enemies in stride for you had the means to win and they didn't. But seeing that's not what you want to do, I fail to see why you bother playing tennis at all. What is the purpose of winning if you're going to quit in the end?" He held his gaze, anticipating a reaction. He did want him in the club though, for the purpose of keeping an eye on him. "And in consideration to your desire to join my club, I will allow if after you answer my question. If I find it satisfying, then your membership will extend to the team."

The boy was prepared to respond, except he shut his mouth quickly. Atobe could understand that he was about to speak out of impulse. He saw the confliction in his eyes as he tried to come up with a proper response.

"I'm not cruel to make you answer now. There is no time limit for I am patient. You will be a part of the club but as the manager. The position has been open for awhile. Your leg won't be healed for some time anyway. You might as well make yourself useful." He sounded smug, glad that the situation worked out in his favor. "I wonder what you would have done if I said no, _neko-chan_."

A stiff laugh came from him, unsettling the king. What was so funny? He started adjusting his broken leg into a more comfortable position. "You have a way of making everything sound self-centered. I wonder what you would have done if I rejected your 'generosity' and joined soccer instead." And then something unexpected happened. The boy smiled despite how mocking it appeared.

Atobe felt a brow twitch. There were over two hundred members in his club. Each and every one of those boys flocked and submitted to him the moment he became captain. Matthew wasn't even grateful for getting the spot of a manager. Countless of females asked him for that position. They were rejected for their antics, so the club agreed not to have any more managers. Was he honestly throwing back his generosity for another club?

A smile forced itself upon his face. "You are quite the puzzle, _neko-chan_. Stubborn and strong-willed, I like that. Well, if you're going to imply that you won't take my offer, then I see no reason to convince you otherwise."

Despite how persistent silence seemed to develop between them, Atobe managed the long quiet seconds a lot better. The conversation was in his hands and in his control.

"…I'll be the manager. I still plan on answering your question. Don't forget about it."

"I don't intend to forget, _neko-chan_. I eagerly await your answer." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that they passed by the snack shop Jirou constantly spent his allowance in. "I need to make a detour."

* * *

Akriel couldn't stop tapping his pen against his textbook. His eyes continuously glanced at the clock. He shouldn't be worrying in the living room for crying out loud. Tennis practice ended around 7:00. So Matt should be home in about twenty to thirty minutes. Tenka had called ahead, informing him of the new arrangement of Matt's transportation. It was a lot safer walking on crutches, but getting a ride from that Atobe kid made him uneasy. Imagining his godson alone with someone he clearly loathed was worrisome. So here he was, acting like a paranoid parent rather than a procrastinating college student.

He sighed and leaned on his elbow. He turned to Lucie who was asleep on the cushion next to him. "I know I called him out on his trust and whatnot, but how did he take it as becoming friends with Matt? Self-centered and overconfident brats make no sense at times. I wonder if he has another motive for this." But then he recalled how Tenka described him one time. He didn't seem to have any limits with what he can do. He was also surprisingly charismatic despite his narcissism. "…maybe the idea of Matt disliking him is something he's self-conscious of… I wonder if he's more insecure than he seems. I guess that's like Matt except he does the opposite. Instead of surrounding himself with people who like him, he pushes them away." He rubbed his forehead and laughed to himself. "I'm probably over-analyzing this. They're just kids…"

Lucie was the first to notice the sound of the door unlocking and sliding open. She jumped from the couch and raced towards the door, meowing her "welcome home".

"Hey, Lucie…" Matt could be heard, tired and soft.

Akriel met him at the door and raised an eyebrow at the plastic bag that hung in his hand. It was bulging with Pocky. "I see that you took advantage of having Atobe as your personal driver."

He frowned for a moment and looked down at the boxes. "He wanted to make a detour and bought me all of this. I don't remember his reasoning. Something along the lines of his generosity having no bounds… We actually had a decent conversation too. He didn't piss me off as much like last time." As an afterthought, he said, "I'm the team's manager now."

There was something wrong with this image in Akriel's blue eyes. Atobe bought him Pocky? He didn't see the logic behind it. Even though the brat had money to spare, he wouldn't go out of his way to buy all these boxes, right? And then letting Matt become the manager… there was probably another story to that.

"I guess you're all right having him take you home and to school."

"I'm… not sure… I guess so. I still don't like him though. He's too much like Tenka in terms of arrogance." He shrugged and made his way towards the stairs. The plastic bag swung with each step up.

Akriel reached out and ruffled his hair. "Night, Matt."

"Night."

Once he heard the boy's door shut, Akriel chuckled and shook his head. "If he's like Tenka, then maybe you'll warm up to him too." He wanted to point that out but reconsidered. It would be better letting things fall into place. But he did point out one other thing, "You better not eat all those boxes in one go!"

_Author's Note: I swear, I think I need to write longer chapters rather than cutting them short and prolonging everything. But I think I can pick up the pace now. College started off pretty well, so I still have time to write more chapters._

_In response to Pri-Chan 1410, I do plan on putting up a chapter on Rikkaidai (or is it Rikkai, I can't tell…) the chapter after the next, so that would be Chapter 12, I believe._

_Thank you all for coming by and reading! I hope you enjoyed~!_


	12. Chapter 11 - Hyoutei

_**Hyoutei**_

**11**

"If you're going to collect data, then do it without making yourself look foolish," lectured the silver-haired boy after finding a third scout pathetically hidden in a tree. He glanced at the camera that fell from the scout and shook his head. He picked it up, took the memory card, and pocketed it.

A full week and a half had passed since Matt's entrance as manager. But his position soon changed from manager to scout hunter due to the sudden increase of scouts during the practices. It was annoying at first, having to hobble around on his crutches while being discreet so the spies wouldn't run off, but he figured it was better than helping first-years swing a racket properly.

"You got five seconds to get out of here." Matt pivoted around on his good leg and moved with his crutches away from the tree. "That branch will snap." He left after hearing a sharp crack followed by a painful sounding thud.

Making his way back to the tennis courts, he sat down where Jirou took a blissful nap. He wanted to be like this sleeping beauty and take a nap as well. He needed it after waking up from a particularly terrible nightmare. After one more look around the surroundings of the courts, he didn't find notice anything suspicious and yawned.

"Hah… so cool…!" Jirou exclaimed in his sleep, a wide smile on his face.

His head snapped at him, confused by his outburst. So he was a sleep-talker… it had to be nice being able to dream happily. It made him wonder what exactly made him so happy all the time.

"You look bored, _neko-chan_. If you want to watch something more compelling, then why don't you watch my next match?" Atobe spoke in front of him, his racket propped on his shoulder and his free hand in his pocket.

"No thanks… if you really want an audience, you might as well let these scouts stick around. Give them a show for the cameras."

"As if they're worthy to witness my prowess," he responded with a smirk. His gaze went from the silver-haired boy to the sleeping beauty. "Jirou, wake up. I want to play."

Somehow, those words were enough to wake him up. The volley specialist sat up instantly and jumped to his feet, standing on the bench. "I get to play a match with Atobe! This is so exciting!"

Without much regard to his position, he stepped forward. When his foot stepped through nothing but air, he immediately fell forward with a cry.

Matt's silver eyes flashed, and he grabbed the hem of Jirou's jacket before his face smashed into the next bench. With a relieved sigh, he pulled him back up. That was another task he had to do as manager – make sure none of the regulars got injured. Usually, his task consisted of him making sure Jirou didn't fall on his face or sleep too long. As for the other players... they didn't require much of or seemed thrilled with his help.

Jirou burst out laughing. Whether or not it was out of relief or simply because he wanted to laugh remained unknown in Matt's mind.

"Sorry, sorry! I was too excited!"

"Just be careful." Matt couldn't exactly get mad at him, now could he? It still amazed him how much energy the third-year had. Out of curiosity, he asked, "What were you dreaming about earlier?"

"About tennis, of course," he replied happily. "Oshitari says you play, right? Don't you think it's fun?"

"I guess…" He turned his head away slightly at the feeling of his lips tilting towards a frown. "I haven't played in awhile."

"That's because your leg's broken, Matt. Once you're up and running again, let's have a match!"

He didn't know how to respond, his tongue suddenly incapable of speech. What could he say to that? Of course, his leg was broken; Jirou didn't need to point out the obvious. As for a match with him, that wasn't a possibility since he gave up a year ago, and yet, he couldn't refuse.

"…isn't there someone else you would rather play with…?" His voice became increasingly soft and uneasy. When nervousness settled in, he couldn't look at Jirou either.

"Of course, that's why I love tennis so much. I get to play with people I never get tired of playing with, like Atobe or Marui-kun!"

"Jirou, don't keep _ore-sama_ waiting." Atobe snapped his fingers and caught their attention. His eyes met Matt's for a split second before he turned and waved Jirou to follow after him.

The curly-haired boy complied, a shining smile on his face at the thought of playing against his idol again. Despite this, he felt uncomfortable from Matt's stiffness. Did he not like tennis? Glancing back at Matt, he watched him leave, probably in search of more scouts. "Hey, hey, Atobe, why doesn't Matt smile? I've never seen him smile before. I thought talking about tennis would cheer him up."

"Don't be so naïve, Jirou. It's not that simple."

"How is it not simple? It's either he likes tennis or he doesn't, right?"

Atobe sighed deeply, not eager to explain the situation. It was like trying to teach a baby physics – impossible and not worth the effort. "If you think it's simple, then show him why you like tennis so much. You always smile around that third-year you consider your idol, although it really should be me that's your number one." He drawled on, "I believe Rikkaidai's practices are still going on."

"That's a great idea!" In a few seconds, the volley specialist wasn't even at Atobe's side anymore. He had dashed back to the bleachers and after Matt, yelling after him. "Matt, Matt, let's go to Rikkaidai!"

The Hyoutei captain was shocked behind disbelief. They were supposed to be practicing, not fanning after rival tennis players. What made it worse was Jirou had placed his idol over him, the great king. How insulting…

"Kabaji," he called his loyal friend over. Once the tall second-year stood in front of him, he said, "Have Oshitari end practice an hour early. I'm afraid I have to chaperone a last minute visitation. Jirou needs to learn to control himself, _na_, Kabaji?"

"Usu."

* * *

Matt thought he would never witness Jirou stay awake longer than ten minutes, but he did. It was much more than ten minutes, after having to take a train towards the rival school, which surprised him even more. Whoever this 'Marui-chan' was, he had to be a huge influence on the volley specialist.

Throughout the walk and ride there, he learned that this third-year inspired Jirou to be play Serve and Volley. He also learned about how they first met and the match they had. While listening to him speak ecstatically, Matt couldn't help but think back to the first person who inspired him to play tennis. His mother was the first to tell him about the sport, but it was an elderly southpaw that ignited his motivation. He vaguely tried to recall what exactly was it about the old man that got him so eager to play. Memories associated with the age of six weren't as easily recalled, and he had only met the man once.

Then he noticed that Jirou stopped talking. He looked at him, raising a brow. Why was he staring at him like that?

"You look sad, Matt…"

"H-Hah…?" He blinked, unknowingly blinking away the sadness that settled in its silver irises. "I was just thinking, that's all… there's this one old man I met years ago. We never exchanged names and only met for one day. He inspired me to play."

Upon hearing Matt open up just a little, Jirou exclaimed, "That's amazing! It's just like a manga! You know, like when the stranger that teaches the hero a meaningful lesson and then he disappears."

He did know what he meant, but he wouldn't put himself down as a hero. Tennis didn't exactly save people. It was just a sport that involved hitting a green ball between two players. There wasn't anything truly meaningful about playing when everyone wanted to win and be number one. It turned even the best of friends against each other from how he saw it.

"Jirou… why do you play tennis?" questioned the silver-haired boy, recalling the same question Atobe had asked him.

"What kind of question is that?" He said with a laugh. "Tennis is fun. You get to play against these strong players, like Marui-kun. And if you lose, then it's worth putting in the effort to improve so I can play again."

The response seemed so simple and straightforward, but it had a heavier impact on Matt than he let on. Was that why he liked playing? He couldn't remember exactly. When he was forbidden to play, he only played to shut up whoever got cocky or said shit about him. It wasn't fun when the same cocky asses played dirty.

The train conductor announced the arriving station and they came to a halt. Just as Matt stood on his foot, Jirou grabbed him and dragged him out. "We're here! Come on, we can still make it in time!"

"W-Wait!" Matt couldn't exactly do anything except make sure nothing bumped into his cast too roughly. "I can walk, dammit!"

_Author's Note: This took me forever to write… I restarted this chapter like twice until I felt satisfied with where I was going. I originally was going to have Matt play against some bratty third-year in tennis despite his broken leg. And then have Atobe watch. If it's somehow possible to play tennis with only two strings, then having Matt play with one leg shouldn't be that unbelievable (making a reference to the New Prince of Tennis that bugs me)._

_Anyway, I had trouble coming up with what I wanted to do, and then I saw the episode where Jirou visits Rikkaidai to watch his idol play. It inspired me to write what is posted now, and because Jirou was so adorable in that episode. XD_

_I apologize for its short length, but I promise that at least the next two chapters will be longer._

_Thanks for reading~!_


	13. Chapter 12 - Rikkaidai&Hyoutei

_**Rikkaidai/Hyoutei**_

**12**

Matt exhaled sharply after being hauled all the way to Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku. He sat down on the grass behind Jirou who pretty much had his face pressed up against the fencing as the champions of the National Tournament practiced. From where he sat, he could see how formidable the team was and understood what made them champions, two years running.

"There he is, Matt!" Jirou exclaimed happily, pointing his finger towards a third-year with red-pink hair. "He's the genius that inspired me to become a volley specialist!"

The silver-haired boy regarded Bunta Marui. He saw him perform his specialty move, _Tightrope Walking_, and simply nodded his head. "It's a hard move to do… it's not easy as it is to get it to land on the net without falling…"

"It's cool, isn't it?" He smiled at him before turning back to witness the genius at play.

Matt started observing the other players, merely out of curiosity. They all seemed close because he could hear them refer to each other by their given name. And he also noticed that there was no coach. It didn't seem like they needed one. The guy that slapped them for messing around seemed sufficient enough.

Then he noticed someone sitting at the very top of the bleachers, his eyes widening slightly. "Tatsuya…"

Ah… that was right. The purple-haired kendo practitioner transferred here instead of Hyoutei because of the distance. Matt wondered what he was doing at a tennis practice than at the kendo club. He didn't keep tabs on him like Tenka did.

He got up and headed towards him. "I'll be right back, Jirou…"

* * *

Out of the corner of his brown eyes, Sanada saw Tatsuya sitting at the bleachers again. His focus should be on tennis right now, though he couldn't help but notice his constant appearance. He didn't mind having him around since he wasn't a nuisance. Most likely, he was the only exception among outsiders that could hang around their practices. He just couldn't figure out his purpose for watching.

"His attendance has been 100% so far," Renji said beside him. "I believe he tried joining kendo again."

"Did he succeed?" The question came out before he could stop himself. It wasn't that he did not care about Aoi's personal life, but that information should be left outside the courts when they had the regional tournament to win.

"I don't think so, considering that he's still here. He doesn't look very happy either. Disappointed, wouldn't you agree?" A faint tone of amusement colored his matter-of-fact voice. "He's always waiting for you. Does that history project really require so much attention?"

"We both want to finish before its deadline, simple as that. And he's decent company. My nephew likes him after I invited him over a few times."

"I wonder what will happen after that project is over and done with. Would Aoi-kun still come by?" Renji left the conversation at that for he noticed someone with silver hair walking up to Tatsuya, shifting his interest onto him. "Judging from the uniform, the boy is from Hyoutei. I saw him come here with Akutagawa Jirou, also from Hyoutei. It seems like they're here to observe Bunta again."

Sanada silently watched Aoi give a look of surprise and then smile at the silver-haired boy. No doubt his golden eyes must be shining. He didn't need to deduce that they knew each other. Aoi had a habit of rambling about his friends from his previous junior high school, so he knew who the boy was. "He's Matthew Fatale."

"I'm surprised you know his name," was what Renji said, though he didn't sound at all surprised, just amused.

"Aoi told me about him."

"Mmm… well, I seem to actually have more information on him than Aoi-kun. His hair was black at the time, but he participated in a few junior tournaments before entering middle school. He suddenly disappeared from the tennis world."

He cocked on eyebrow, not at the boy's tennis experience, but the fact that he dyed his hair too. Was that a trend among those with unusual hair colors?

Shaking his head, a time was recalled when he did ask the kendo practitioner if he dyed his hair before. The boy's reaction was almost… concerning.

_Aoi jolted and dropped the books he had in his arms while they gathered research material in the local library. "D-D-D-D-Dyed my hair…?" He shook his head quickly. "I never did. No… I never dyed my hair blonde…"_

_Sanada bent down to pick up the fallen books. "I never said what color, Aoi."_

_He had a guilty expression but continued to deny his words. "No! I never dyed my hair, Sanada-san. Please respect that."_

That was the first time the boy spoke without a stutter or hesitation between his words. He never heard him raise his voice until that time either. Despite the denials, Sanada knew he was hiding the fact. Tatsuya Aoi was the 'fierce and young dragon' he witnessed in that kendo match years ago, but why did he sound so ashamed?

"It seems that you're lost in thought, Genichirou. Seeing your eyes averted towards the corners indicates that you were in a flashback." The calm voice of Renji brought him back to reality.

Tugging the brim of his cap down, he grunted. "I suggest you keep your observations to tennis instead of someone's private thoughts."

"You know how I work. I can't collect sufficient data on tennis alone. Delving into someone's background helps back it up and allow room for future predictions."

He didn't know what to say to that. It was senseless arguing with him although that never stopped him from trying. Before he could end the conversation for he noticed some of the regulars, particularly Marui and Niou, slacking off, the purple-haired boy came towards them.

"S-Sanada-san, I… I… think we should, um… change where we're meeting up for the project…"

The vice-captain didn't understand the need to be nervous, especially over something so simple. Did Aoi expect him to get mad for wanting to change the location? He was strict, but he wasn't unreasonable. "That's fine. Where do you want to go?"

"A coffee shop… do you… do you mind if Matt-san joins us?"

His eyes flicked to Matt, who watched from the bleachers, before going back to Aoi. He nodded his head. "We're almost done, so we can afford to lighten up."

"R-Really?!" He gaped at him with wide golden eyes.

Sanada blinked. He hadn't said anything unusual.

Well, that was what he assumed until Renji spoke up. "How uncharacteristic of you, Genichirou. You never slack off, even for the slight of seconds."

Upon seeing the boy's agreement, he grunted and tugged at his cap. "That's nonsense, Yanagi. We're still working on the project, regardless. Now get on the court before I make you run laps."

The data master chuckled and nodded his head. "Of course, _vice-captain_."

A vein pulsed in annoyance for Sanada knew better than to believe Renji had whole-heartedly accepted his words. He was most likely analyzing his words for the purpose of collecting data, which seemed irrelevant. So what if he had a small change in character? How did that relate to tennis?

But the longer he dwelled on it, the more he realized that his changes in behaviors happened around Yukimura. As much as he denied it, Renji was right when he mentioned that Sanada never said no to their ill captain. He couldn't help it. Yukimura needed all the help he could get even though he was anything but weak.

As for Aoi's case… he supposed it was similar. He didn't want to disappoint the boy for some reason. Anticipating disappointment was never a good feeling. And then there was that strange shine in his eyes whenever something made him happy, even the smallest of things. …like Yukimura when Sanada grudgingly performed a humiliating favor.

With a frustrated grunt, he shook his head. Aoi was not Yukimura and vice versa. They weren't similar at all. What was he thinking?

He watched the boy's retreating back from under his bill. When Aoi sat down and spoke with his friend, Sanada could see the smile on his face as they continued their conversation. Although he thought about it before, but that smile did suit him rather than sorrow or disappointment.

Matt decided to head towards Hyoutei before grabbing a table at the café, partly because he had to make sure Jirou actually went home. They technically ditched practice without Atobe's permission. He was surprised that no one came after them though, not even a phone call.

* * *

By the time he reached Jirou, he was sitting on the grass with a sleepy expression although his bright eyes were on Marui. This was the first time he had seen him awake. It made him wonder just how much Jirou actually liked the volley genius.

"I think we should get back to Hyoutei, Jirou."

He didn't protest, letting out a long yawn before jumping onto his feet. "Who were you talking to before…?" He rubbed his tired eyes in an attempt to stay awake at least for this conversation.

"A friend from my previous middle school," replied Matt. He took a glance at his phone and realized it was dead. No wonder he didn't get any messages from Tenka. Now that he thought about it… he had never given Atobe's number in the first place. He was the manager, but Atobe didn't seem to need him, so what was the point? "Did you get any calls?"

"Hmm…?" Jirou looked at his phone too. "Oh! I missed Atobe's calls!" Just as he would return them, his phone rang again. He picked up, "Atobe-san?" His voice fell silent as he listened to his captain speak on the other end.

Matt raised an eyebrow when Jirou handed the phone to him. "He wants to talk to me?"

"Yes, _neko-chan_, I want to speak with you. The phone is not for decoration after all, unless you enjoying hearing my amazing voice." The captain's voice could be heard. Although minuscule, his ego exuded from his words.

He snatched it from his hand and spoke into the receiver. "What do you want, Atobe?"

"I am on my way to pick you and Jirou up. This would have been easier if you and Jirou hadn't run off to another school…"

"…you're snappier than usual…" Matt pointed out, wondering what truly bothered him. Though he only knew him for a short time, he had been regularly conversing with the rich brat during the car rides to school and home. There were rare moments where Atobe would break composure and let _something_ get to him.

"…I do not snap, _neko-chan_. _Ore-sama_ does not fall into impulsive behavior. Now be ready in ten."

The conversation ended with the dial tone from the other end. Yup… Atobe was bugged by something. If he wasn't, then he wouldn't be letting something as – in his terms – petty as ditching get in his way. Well, that was how Matt looked at it. Whatever the reason, he doubted Atobe would say. He never said what sort of issues he had because he said that a king can handle himself and should not resort to commoners. Why the hell did he have to make everything complicated?

* * *

Matt could feel a vein popping soon if Atobe didn't shut up. How Jirou managed to fall asleep during his little tirade was beyond him. He would very much like to be in his position at this very moment. Jirou was also lucky that he would be taken home alone and not accompanied by the ass.

"I don't like it when people waste my time. I am the rule."

Similar remarks like those were made throughout their ride in the limousine. Most were directed at Matt for some reason. Tatsuya and Sanada got it easy being the 'guests' although they were inside the limo with them.

"Atobe… could you kindly shut up?" The silver-haired boy was fed up as he got out of the car. He couldn't even smirk at the horrified expression the king had on. Unfortunately, he was not going to be gaining any satisfaction in snapping right back. Just when he thought he could relax by having a cup of coffee with a good friend, Atobe had to butt in along with his ego and insist he join them from coffee because he needed it more. Now that he thought about it, the bastard quite literally butted into his life ever since they met at those street courts.

Sanada coughed into his hand, successfully suppressing his laugh. He did earn a glare from the diva, but that didn't matter. His face was priceless. For once, there was no irritating smirk that made him grind his teeth.

"M-Matt-san… that's rude…" Tatsuya said uneasily, looking between the glowering third-years.

"Not when you have to deal with this pompous ass five days a week," retorted the silver-haired boy, jabbing a thumb in his direction. "I think it's time I let loose how I've been feeling lately. If you want to bitch, I will too. So pick your poison, Atobe. You can shut up or you can freely speak and then listen to what I have to say."

A sigh left the boy with light purple hair. He held the door open the moment he reached the café's door. These were one of the moments where Matt acted so impulsively that he was immature. It was nostalgic because it was almost like slapstick where Tenka would smack the top of his head and scold him.

"Matt-san…" He spoke to his friend just as he moved past. "…isn't… isn't Atobe-san your friend…?"

The boy froze at the doorway. His expression was unreadable and blank as a canvas. "Tatsuya, we're…" He hesitated in defining their relationship.

What exactly were Atobe and Matt? They went to school together, and they were a part of the same club, but that hardly meant anything. And yet… he couldn't stop thinking about Atobe's presence. As mentioned before, the king quite literally butted into his life. Maybe he adapted to him being around since they saw each other every day. And getting past the air of superiority, Atobe wasn't the worst person to have a conversation with. He actually paid attention to the details and knew what he was saying.

"…sort of friends, I guess. I don't even know…" A faint blush appeared on his cheeks out of embarrassment. Hopefully, no one heard that except Tatsuya. He was about to resume walking when he caught sight of familiar faces out of the corner of his eye. Without thinking, he grabbed Tatsuya by the front and pulled him inside.

"Matt-san?!" exclaimed the third-year, his golden eyes concerned.

Matt didn't say anything, simply pushing him towards the table where Atobe and Sanada sat. His gaze still remained on the group of boys that passed, and he cursed under his breath. They were from their previous middle school despite the change in uniform.

'_I can't let Tatsuya see them or let them see us… and they better no fucking come in here…'_

He joined them at the table though his eyes still glanced outside the window every once in awhile. The group still hung around, loitering, which was typical of them. They were most likely scouting out for someone to pick on.

"_Neko-chan_…" Atobe's voice broke through his train of thought. He had caught Matthew's distracted look, appalled that his eyes weren't on him. "Are you ordering?"

Despite how irritating that nickname was, Matt had gotten used to it, even responding to it whenever called. It was stupid, but it seemed like Atobe refused to call him by his given name. He took a quick glance at the menu. "White café mocha for me."

"I'll have an espresso," Tatsuya ordered with a shy smile.

Sanada gave him a curious look though he did not express his thoughts. Espresso contained a lot of caffeine, and he knew from experience never to feed anyone light-hearted that kind of stuff. The first time Kirihara had coffee… it was the most irritating and stressful sight ever. He had to slap him multiple times before the Junior Ace stopped rambling. He also had to make sure he didn't critically injure any more players from the club.

He ordered tea instead of coffee.

"Um… Sanada-san about the report…" Tatsuya brought it up since that was the only topic that came to mind. And it was technically why they were at the shop in the first place.

"…we could worry about that later," spoke the vice-captain, uncharacteristically.

"B-But…"

"Yanagi told me you tried joining kendo again."

His body stiffened, and his hands gripped the edge of the table. Was this a topic he really wanted to talk about? "I…I did… I was rejected though…"

"What happened?" Sanada's brown eyes were fully attentive on him.

He shook his head. The demand in Sanada's voice left him feeling trapped. A lump had formed in his throat for being reminded of the rejection brought back the reasons for it. The kendo club didn't accept weaklings, and the captain said he was the weakest looking boy who wanted to join. Those words… they affected him harder than an average person. He had been called weak countless of times, but to be judged right off the bat, that was unfair for him and always happened. His breathing suddenly became sharp and quick. He couldn't start panicking… not now…

"…I-I-I need some a-air…" Tatsuya abruptly stood up and swiftly walked towards the door.

The silver-haired boy watched him go and then looked at Sanada. His eyes narrowed at him. "Why the hell did you ask?" Then a realization hit him, and he growled. "You knew he got rejected…" Another growl followed for he was seriously annoyed. "I don't know what the fuck you were thinking or why, but Tatsuya hates being judged. The last school we went to was hell for him. He got judged left and right, bullied and…" His eyes widened when he remembered that the boys outside were still there. And Tatsuya could walk right into them. "Shit!"

Matt grabbed his crutches and hastily hobbled towards the door without giving any sort of explanation. He was such an idiot. He let his anger get the best of him and left his friend open for attack!

"What a crappy vice-captain…" Atobe couldn't help but remark while he watched the little kitten.

He snorted though it was half-hearted. Some guilt had settled into his chest. Now that he thought about it, ever since he figured out Tatsuya's skills in kendo that was all he seemed focused on. He didn't think about his feelings or how he reacted whenever the sport was brought up.

"I'm going after them…" He stood from his seat and headed towards the door.

The Hyoutei captain sighed after fiddling with his hair. He didn't exactly want to be left alone when there was this tension in the air. Taking out some cash, he left it in the middle of the table and followed him, his excuse being, "Kittens like Matthew can't be left unattended."

Atobe would soon learn that those words, in a sense, were true. The two tennis players were able to find Matthew and Tatsuya, but they didn't expect to find them at the back of an alleyway with a group of six boys, looking for a fight.

_Author's Note: I hate how my writing changes with every chapter, LOL. I don't know if you can see it, but you can tell by the word choice. There are moments where I'll use simpler words and not so simpler ones. When I use the not so simpler ones, I'm like, "…why I can't do this when I type Atobe's point of view?" Instead, I use them for Sanada's perspective. Oops._

_I apologize for the flow of the chapter and the long time it took to update. It's a little weird and choppy but I'm trying to pick up the pace here. Now we can start getting to the angsty feels and whatnot. XD And college is a bitch to adjust to… well, that's just me exaggerating. I actually like being a college student, but I don't like getting caught between doing math and writing because I enjoy both._

_Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for reading!_


	14. Chapter 13 - Rikkaidai&Hyoutei

_Author's Quick Note: I suck at writing fight scenes, especially unconventional ones. So please bear with it. ;-;_

_**Rikkaidai/Hyoutei**_

_**13**_

Matt liked to fight, but he hated bullies. It was best he got that across because he had a "habit" of beating them up with fists and kicks. Being the odd one out had something to do with it. He looked like the perfect target – short, scrawny, foreign – but he proved that he was capable of handling them. Bullies went hand in hand with his love for fighting because he could vent out his frustrations and still appear as the victim. When bullies involved his friends though, his desire for a good fight diminished, for he would rather take them out swiftly.

"Matt-san…" Tatsuya said his name faintly. He slowly rose to his feet although he suffered a few good kicks to the gut and back before Matt came to his rescue.

"Just stay back, Tatsuya…" Matt took a deep breath in order to clear his mind. Normally, he would throw himself into a fight but that was when he had both legs. Now he actually had to think carefully about how he would take care of them. Two had weapons, _shinai_ in their hands, while the other three were weaponless. Spotting a metal bar on the ground, he pushed it towards Tatsuya with the foot of his crutch. Now this made the fight even.

The purple-haired boy picked it up, uneasiness in his eyes. It wouldn't be much help for them with five people in front of them. What was Matt planning?

"So you want to play with us now, Matt-chan? I miss calling you that since you're still as skinny as a girl." A member of the group said, probably the leader although they all looked the same in Matt's eyes – cocky, stupid, and irritating.

"This is too easy," another of them remarked. Taking a step forward, he smirked in the boy's face. "Should I give you a handicap?"

Idiots never learned… and it was pointless to voice that fact when these were the same idiots that picked on him. And they got beat up by him too. Also, this wasn't the first time he broke his leg and had to fight anyway.

Matt glared up to him. Taking advantage of the fact that he carried no weapon, he lifted the foot of his left crutch and crushed it against his foot. A sharp cry rang through the narrow confines of the alley.

The cry was heard by the Hyoutei's _buchou_ and Rikkaidai's _fuku-buchou_. They ran towards the entrance of the alleyway and saw the two boys cornered.

Atobe made a clicking noise with his tongue and pulled out his cell phone, about to call the police. But his thumb stopped just above the keys when he saw what Matthew did next.

The bully that had cried out shoved the silver-haired boy back who used the push's momentum to his advantage. The crutches were immediately abandoned while Matthew brought his hands over his head. His back arched into a narrow curve and his foot rose into the air, kicking up the male's chin. The boy wasn't done though for he spun on his hands and issued another kick, this time to the side of the male.

If it wasn't for his trained eyes, Atobe wouldn't have caught the motions. It seemed… surreal what Matthew had done. He had fallen onto his hands and performed a flare, even on a broken leg. It was somewhat unbalanced but the boy pulled it off.

Sanada had to have seen the same thing for his mouth was slightly open. His expression was ridiculous, but Atobe admitted he couldn't blame him.

Matthew remained on his hands as the male fell to the ground, his head lifted towards the four remaining males. A faint smirk played on his lips. Bending his elbows, he pushed himself up into the air, falling in an arch with his leg extended. He fell upon the nearest male and pushed him onto the ground. Then he jumped and bent back, doing another back flip followed by another flare on his next victim.

In just a few seconds, the two were down with the wind knocked out of them. He righted himself and balanced on his foot while his hand rested on the wall to his right for better support. Two more were left, one on his left and the other in front of him. That was when Atobe realized Matthew had taken out only the weaponless ones. Why though? That left him at an advantage…

"Now, Tatsuya!" Matt shouted. He jumped and pushed himself off the wall with his hand, tackling into the person on his left. The person didn't react in time to bring his wooden blade up and fell with him.

Tatsuya did follow through and dashed forward, the bar held in his hands at the base. He thrust it forward, striking the wrist. Without a moment's hesitation, he stepped forward, aimed for the neck, and attacked. But at the last second, he stopped, the tip of the bar a mere millimeters away from touching skin.

The boy exhaled sharply and met eyes with the male in front of him. "C-Can you please leave us alone…?"

"…_tarundoru_!" Sanada's voice suddenly boomed.

Atobe gave him a funny look. He did not just say that, did he? "Is it really appropriate to say that, ahn?" He shoved his phone back in his pocket since he didn't seem to need it now. Regaining his composure after witnessing the conflict, he ran his fingers through his hair.

The capped teen ignored him and entered the alley. To the bullies, he said, "You have three seconds to get out before we call the police."

Matt muttered, "We had it handled…" He rolled off the person he fell upon and watched as the person scrambled to his feet and ran off, catching the fearful expression.

The other three followed by example, but the last one standing didn't move.

He spat at Tatsuya, "Don't think this is over." He pushed the bar away and took off.

Tatsuya's shoulders slumped, and he dropped the metal bar with an echoing clang. "Th-Thanks for coming, Sanada-san…" He smiled at him, mostly out of relief that he didn't have to take a step further.

Upon seeing his smile, the lecture he had in mind for him disappeared. Sanada wanted to tell the boy to stop being soft or else the bullies would never leave him alone. And yet at the same time, he did not want that smile to disappear. With a grunt, he nodded his head. "It's good to see you're fine."

"Bullies are real cowards, aren't they?" Atobe remarked as he watched the five all turn the corner and out of sight. He walked in and looked at Matthew sitting on the ground. "You can't be left alone, can you, _neko-chan_?" His hand extended out for him to take.

"I said we had it handled," snapped the boy. Ignoring his helping hand, he managed to get back on his foot and hopped over to his crutches. Just as he reached for them, he felt a sharp pain in his palms. He closed his hand before Atobe could see.

"You're bleeding, and there's quite a lot too. There's glass all over this alleyway. You must have cut yourself on them, which is rather reckless of you." The king spoke with a smug tone. A normal person would actually be concerned that the boy's hands were bleeding profusely, but since this was Keigo Atobe, his self-satisfaction came first.

Matthew shot him a loathing expression. Was this really the guy he admitted to being 'sort of' friends with? "Thanks for pointing that out, Atobe." He glanced at his hands and saw a large cut across his left palm along with minuscule cuts here and there on the tips of both hands. It wasn't as bad as injuries got in the past, though the largest cut stung.

Before the boy could reach for his fallen crutches, Atobe picked them up, resting them on his shoulder, and turned so his open one was to the boy. Upon seeing his cocked eyebrow, Atobe patiently explained, "Consider this an honor that I lend you my shoulder."

"…and you're still an ass." But Matthew put his arm around him and used him for support since he didn't want to look like an idiot hopping around on a single foot.

"Ahn, I thought I'm your friend."

His silver eyes widened, a rare expression on his face. It was always interesting seeing his different expressions. "You… heard…?"

"Don't underestimate me. Of course, I did." Atobe's smug look seemed to intensify, if that was even possible. "It's good to hear that I'm liked. I didn't think you liked me very much."

When Matthew didn't respond, he glanced at him, expecting another look of loathing. Instead, he saw something else – embarrassment. His cheeks turned as red as a tomato, so he turned his head away from him and hurriedly spoke to Tatsuya, "Call your sister and go home, Tatsuya. We'll catch up another time."

"I could simply drop them home as well."

Matthew ignored Atobe's offer, giving Tatsuya an urgent look to call already.

The boy with light purple hair blinked at his friend's odd behavior. Then it reminded him of when Tenka and Matt finally considered each other friends, bringing a smile to his face. They both struggled to admit it and ended up arguing, but it worked out in the end. He was glad that Matt had found another friend, even in someone as arrogant as Atobe.

"It's…it's fine, Atobe-san." He looked to Sanada. "My sister c-can give you a ride home. We could continue the project there…"

The capped boy nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He was curious to know what the boy was smiling about now.

* * *

The four waited near an empty parking spot on the street with Atobe's limousine idling nearby. Matt had insisted they waited for Tatsuya's older sister to arrive before he headed home with Atobe.

He leaned against a pole, carefully balanced on his foot. There was the usual habit of crossing his arms whenever he leaned against something, but with one of his hands bleeding profusely, he couldn't without smearing his blazer. Instead, the boy stood awkwardly, his hands at his sides. Then he remembered that there were bandages in his pack for emergency.

Turning so his backpack was at Atobe, he said, "Mind getting the gauze I have in there?"

The captain complied and plucked the roll out of the pack. This was something he expected out of Shishido or Gakuto since the two had a tendency to come out of their tennis matches with scrapes and cuts. Regardless, it was what the boy needed too. It made him wonder if this wasn't the boy's first fight because he handled the situation as though he had done it many times before.

He cocked an eyebrow when the bloody left hand was displayed in front of him along with an expectant expression.

"What? I can't wrap my hand by myself. It won't be tight enough and it'll probably stain, which would make the gauze useless. It needs to be wrapped cleanly."

Atobe's first response would be to refuse. He did not like working with blood, no matter how little there was. Unfortunately, he did not have Kabaji to do it for him. The Rikkaidai boy was his friend, so why wasn't he asking him?

"…you're not uncomfortable around blood, are you, Atobe?" Matthew appeared thoughtful, and then he showed hints of a smile. "It's fine. I'll just have-"

"Keep your hand up." Atobe stepped closer, closer to the blood that still seeped through the cut skin of his palm.

His nose wrinkled for it really was unsightly and disgusting. Unrolling the cloth to a good length, he started wrapping it around his hand, careful enough to avoid getting a single smidge of the red fluid on him. Out of the goodness of his heart, he was going to do this once. And… perhaps hearing Matthew admit they were friends had something to do with it.

Matt watched his expression carefully. He was initially surprised that he agreed. It wasn't like he was taunting him or anything. Not everyone was good with this kind of stuff. He half-wondered if Atobe was doing this to appear capable of anything. Well, that could have been obvious, but he still wondered why he needed to go so far.

When his hand was wrapped and tied, he flexed his hand, feeling that the cloth was tight enough. "Thanks."

For the first time, Atobe didn't give him a witty response, not a "A king is generous enough to help out a commoner" or a "Of course, you should thank me. Kittens like you need to be taken care of". Just a simple "You're welcome, Matthew" was his response.

His head shot up by the sound of his first name. "You're… you're not calling me _neko-chan_ anymore?"

There was a slight change in his normally confident eyes. Atobe realized he said the boy's name on accident, a slip of the tongue. He had to remedy this mistake before the boy made his own conclusions. "Are you saying you prefer the pet name? I'm actually quite fond of it, _neko-chan_."

"Hell no!" snapped the boy. With a huff, he turned his head away and pulled his hand back. A faint blush colored his cheeks for Atobe had done it again. The pet name was spoken lower and drawn out again.

"A-Ah, nee-chan is here!" Tatsuya exclaimed, waving his arm towards an approaching vehicle.

A young woman, Kotone Aoi, got out of the car, a smile on her lips, as she gave her brother a hug. Looking over her brother's shoulder, she received a respectful bow from the capped teen, but neither Matt nor the other boy acknowledged her arrival. They seemed consumed in their conversation.

"Stop saying it like that…"

"Like what, _neko-chan_? You have to more specific."

"Like _that_!" There was a twitch in the silver-haired boy's slender figure. "_Neko-chan_, _neko-chan_! Will you stop calling me that? It's bothering the hell out of me!"

"Um… M-Matt-san… Atobe-san…?"

Kotone chuckled, let go of Tatsuya, and flicked her fan open, habitually fanning herself with it. "I'm not offended, Tatsuya. It's good to see him as short-tempered as ever. But you do know he's younger than you. Why don't you call him Matt-kun?"

"Force… f-force of habit… he's still a third-year…"

"Well, no matter…" She turned to the capped teen. "Genichirou Sanada, yes?"

He nodded his head and straightened up, meeting her golden eyes. Like Aoi's, they contained a shine to them. Sanada's first impression of Kotone Aoi was that she was nothing like her younger brother. She stood tall with her head held high, an air of confidence and elegance surrounding her. And there was a playful smile on her lips when her eyes met his. Her voice wasn't shaky or had any breaks in it either. The only similarities he could make between the siblings were those golden eyes and their light purple hair.

"You don't look like a boy in middle school." Her eyes openly looked him over and she gave an approving nod. "I thank you for taking care of my little brother. He speaks fondly of you at home."

"N-Nee-chan…" The brother spoke, reddening.

"It's the truth, Tatsuya. I don't see why you have trouble admitting who you admire."

"B-B-B-Because…!"

The vice-captain didn't know what to think when he heard that the boy actually admired him. He had assumed he intimidated him, but hearing that he was admired… it was a new feeling. It was rare to hear compliments besides being told he was mature for his age. And, somehow, knowing he didn't scare Aoi made him smile on the inside.

When he met the sister's eyes again, he saw that her eyes were shining even brighter than before. It was almost as though she was reading his thoughts.

"I'll give you a ride home after you finish your studies at our home, Sanada-kun. Now if you'll excuse me…" The woman walked over to Matt and suddenly threw her arms around him. "Hello, Matt-kun~ how's my cute little brother?"

"S-Sorry, Sanada-san… nee-chan likes to speak her mind." Aoi said, suddenly beside him.

It was then that the vice-captain noticed the loving look he had for his sister. He said simply, "No need to apologize. You two seem close."

The boy nodded his head earnestly. "We d-don't live with our p-…parents…" There a struggle to say the word, but he forced it out. "She's… she's all I have." After a few moments of silence, he asked with curiosity, "Wh-What do you know… a-about Atobe-san?"

Though the question seemed irrelevant, Sanada answered regardless, "He's flashy in style and personality. But I acknowledge his strength as a tennis player."

"M-Matt-san… er, I mean, Matt-kun, seems to be o-okay with him… n-normally, he'd punch him f-for being annoying…"

That was a good point. From what he saw, the "king" was difficult to tolerate. Even Sanada had to admit he couldn't stand his presence. After witnessing Atobe do something out of character, he wondered what sort of relationship they had. Then he realized how Renji-like his way of thinking was.

"It would be a rare sight seeing him humbled though."

"He does have a habit doing that…"

* * *

Matt fell into his seat once inside Atobe's limousine. He was exhausted at this point from chasing down scouts, from beating up idiots, and from snapping at Atobe. What he wanted most was to sleep until the next nightmare woke him up.

"Kotone-san is a charming young woman." Atobe said, taking his seat across from him.

Holding back a growl, Matt closed his eyes. "Can you just shut up for like ten minutes, please? I've asked you this twice."

"How rude… I'm merely making conversation."

From behind his eyelids, the boy rolled his eyes. He kept silent in hopes of earning a few more seconds of not hearing Atobe's deep voice.

"…how many times have you gotten into fights?"

Slowly, Matt opened his eyes but they remained trained on the carpet of the limo. "You're the student council president. I don't think it's a good idea for you to know. And on that topic, you're going to report me, aren't you?"

"I'm allowed to let you off with a warning. Considering the circumstances, you were the victim. But I would like you to answer my question."

Figuring that it couldn't hurt, the boy complied, but he had to be careful with which details to say. "I lost count. Next to tennis, fighting was where I made most of my enemies. I get picked on for stupid reasons, like how I look or how I act. I go out a lot too, even for my age. I guess you can say I like being alone and going wherever my legs take me. Basically, I ventured out on the streets and picked up fighting."

"It did seem as though you've done it before. But it makes me wonder if your parents know about this."

That was when he fell silent, his eyes shutting closed. Atobe didn't know… he didn't need to. "I live with Akriel, and he knows. I'm going to sleep now, so wake me up when we're at my house, okay?" Not allowing for any protests, he moved so he was lying on his back and went right to sleep.

The Hyoutei captain watched him, annoyed that he had been shut out for sleep. But seeing his peaceful expression, he supposed he could have a change of heart and let him be. It had become apparent that the boy did not get enough sleep after days of picking him up in the morning.

Ten minutes into the ride, his cell phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and answered, "Do you need something, Tenka?"

The redhead chuckled from the other end. "I guess you haven't mellowed out yet. Anyway, I'm calling because Akriel's worried. He tried calling Matt's cell but it's most likely dead since he was directly sent to voice mail. Is he with you?"

"Yes, sleeping and sprawled out like he owns the couch."

"Well, considering that-" His voice froze for a split second before he continued, "…that he's always tired, you can't blame him."

Not letting his friend get away with his excuse, he said, "It makes me wonder what keeps him from sleeping. He has mentioned that he gets into fights often."

"Ah… so he told you that? Well, I can't deny it then. He goes out at night whenever he can. Even for his age, he'll stay out as late as possible and then return home."

Atobe supposed that was a sufficient answer although Tenka seemed to be hiding something else about the silver-haired boy. "I know he lives with his godfather, but what about his parents? Where are they in the picture?"

There was a long silence until he sighed. "Don't tell him I told you this." With another sigh, he said, "His parents are dead. The correct term is killed, but yes, they're gone. He lost them when he was six."

His phone nearly slipped out of his fingers for he could not believe it. He wasn't used to hearing bad – in this case, terrible – news. He was right to believe the boy hid _something_. It did connect though. Matthew had a habit of distancing himself and evading topics that related to his parents.

"I'm very serious, Atobe. Don't let him know you know." Tenka spoke through his thoughts. "He hates pity just because he has no parents. Treat him like normal."

"Of course, I'm not going to treat him any differently. Even I can tell he's not fragile."

"Good," was all Tenka said. "Anyway, I'll let Akriel know you guys are on the way back. See you at school tomorrow."

Atobe hung up and leaned back in his seat, still unsure of what to make of the new information. Saying that Matthew was not fragile was actually a complete lie. Atobe was not being ignorant of his bad temper. But that was when Matthew was awake and aware of his actions, though his silver eyes discouraged emotions anyway. There were slips of the tongue as well and he opened up when he felt comfortable with the topic. Asleep, he wore a peaceful expression. There were rare moments where his expression would be surprisingly blissful. And he had caught him sleep-talking before about his mother. It was clear how attached he was to her. Now that he knew she and his father were dead. He understood that his snappy temper was a wall that distanced others.

Unexpectedly, his hand reached out and brushed away a few strands that fell over the silver-haired boy's face, revealing that blissful expression. He supposed calling him _neko-chan_ was appropriate. He was still a kitten that needed to be taken care of as independent as he made himself to be.

_Author's Note: I'm so sorry for how late this chapter is. ;-; Having back to back classes was the worst decision to make three days a week. Also, I'm obsessed with Shingeki no Kyojin. I've been RP-ing it lately, so my mind's been focused on that. STILL! I intend to keep up this fanfiction because I really ship Atobe and Matt. Also, I think I'm getting somewhere with Sanada and Tatsuya. There will be a chapter dedicated to Oshitari and Tenka, so don't worry about them. Their relationship's a bit slow._

_Also, a disclaimer is Kotone Aoi is another original character of mine._

_The next few chapters will surround Sanada and Tatsuya before I jump back to Hyoutei and their match with Seigaku._

_Again, I apologize for the lateness. It's likely that my updates will become weekly rather than 3-5 days._

_I hope you readers out there enjoyed this chapter!_


	15. Chapter 14 - Rikkaidai

_**Rikkaidai**_

**14**

Late into the evening, Sanada and Aoi finally finished their history project - a week early. There was an awkward silence between them as they worked. The light purple-haired boy only spoke when spoken to or when necessary, like asking for a book, something small. Sanada actually wanted to start a conversation to get past the silence, even though he preferred peace and quiet. He was not at all relaxed.

"I'm sorry…"

"What?" snapped the vice-captain. He regretted his words immediately, blaming it on the tension that refused to go away.

Aoi gave the apologetic smile that further increased his guilt. "I'm sorry for running out like that… I-I must have worried you and… and Matt-san and e-even Atobe-san…" He scratched at his cheek with his eyes down on the table. "When you asked me… a-about my rejection… well… if… if you still want to know…"

The boy trembled visibly. It should have been obvious already that the rejection affected him deeply. Sanada still wanted to know, giving him a curt nod.

"The captain… h-he called me weak, didn't even as-ask to see my abilities… j-just glanced at me o-once… I suppose I should… should be used to that. I am w-."

"Stop," Sanada abruptly said, crossing his arms. He knew what Aoi would say next and did not allow him to finish. That would only lower his self-esteem further.

"D-Don't be soft…?" He added for him with a sheepish smile. "It's… it's okay to sl-slap me too while y-you're at it…" Aoi already looked prepared to take it, his body taut in anticipation.

Instead of slapping him, Sanada sighed. The purpose of the slap was to keep players in line. In a sense, it was punishment, but not in the context that Aoi was insisting on. The boy already knew of his flaws, so what was the purpose of slapping him besides harming him?

"You're the young and fierce dragon, aren't you? I recognized you from the championship seven years ago."

A guilty expression took over the boy's features, and his shoulders fell into a slump. With a heavy nod, he spoke, barely above a whisper, "I apologize for lying… you… you have to un-understand. I-It's a past th-…that I'm not proud of." His hands on the _kotatsu _curled into tight fists. "I-I love kendo… I really do… but…" He took in a shaky breath before exhaling as just shakily. Words were never his strong point. He always had difficulties communicating his emotions. Getting onto his feet, he gestured for Sanada to follow him. "If you want… I can… I can show you what I can do…"

Aoi led him through the house where they passed many traditional decorations, nothing Westernized. The deeper they walked inside, the more Sanada noticed how rooted the purple-haired boy was in this. Kendo had to be a tradition within his family. They passed by scrolls and paintings depicting different people, most likely the family's ancestors. He didn't doubt that each person they passed had golden eyes. They each carried fierce expressions, which had to be why Aoi was called 'fierce' in the first place.

"In here…" The boy said softly, sliding two doors apart.

Together they entered a dojo, lined with dummies and racks of weapons. So it wasn't just _shinai_ Aoi specialized in. But Sanada was skeptical if he ever picked up the steel blades that were mixed in.

It shouldn't have surprised the vice-captain that there was a dojo since his own home possessed one. There was a different air though, like there was a presence within the room. Looking at Aoi, he realized that it was the boy himself causing it. His golden eyes held a gleam, exactly like the eyes of his ancestors.

The boy smiled at him before stepping inside, picking up a wooden sword. His fingers ran lightly along its smooth surface. He stopped in front of a dummy and held the sword with both hands in the correct manner; his feet spread a little ways from each other. One sharp exhale later and Aoi struck, hitting the spots that would earn him a point in a real match.

Each strike was precise along with the rest of him. His posture didn't slack and his expression burned with determination. He had to have undergone serious training to achieve the skills he had. Sanada was certain that if it were a person in front of him, he would surely be in for a challenge.

Behind the capped male, a female voice playfully spoke, "Oh, Tatsuya, will you stop showing off?"

Both boys turned their heads towards Kotone who smirked and fanned herself with her designer fan.

Aoi reddened slightly and couldn't help but laugh, bringing up a hand to scratch at his cheek. "Nee-chan, I'm not showing off…"

There was no stutter. In fact, he seemed like a different Tatsuya Aoi as a whole. No slumps or trembles, except the scratch to the cheek. So the boy was like Akaya. Tennis was the second-year's domain. For Aoi's case, the dojo was his.

Right now, he could see his physicality – tall and square shoulders. Though he didn't reach his height, he seemed taller than he really appeared. He wouldn't be surprised if his muscles were well-developed. If the boy stopped wearing his blazer or any clothing with long sleeves, he would know.

"You are too." Kotone shot back, giving Sanada a playful nudge. "Don't you agree?"

He tugged down the bill of his cap, not meeting her eyes. Right now, he didn't know what exactly to think. And she honestly scared the shit out of him. He was so concentrated on Aoi's swordplay that he didn't hear her walk up behind him. How stupid… he should have heard her.

"Your brother is skilled. He deserves to show off a little."

"Siding with him, hm?" She closed her fan with a snap. "Well, it's good to hear that someone can see his skills. You're getting a little sloppy though, Tatsuya. You weren't as swift."

"I was kicked a few times today. I don't think it's a good idea to move at my best…"

"That doesn't stop Matt from doing something stupid like fighting on a broken leg." With a sigh, the older sister shook her head, her long light purple hair swaying. Turning her head to the boy next to her, she asked, "It's getting late, Sanada-kun. Shall I take you home? Believe me when I say it's dangerous at night, even for a boy with your stature."

He didn't protest, knowing that the buses probably weren't running at this time. When he met her gaze, he noticed a devious shine that made him reconsider. Kotone wanted something from him. It was the same look he got from Yukimura whenever the captain had some favor that had unsavory results.

* * *

Sanada was correct in thinking against the ride. He found himself in a conversation that led from one topic to another. Before he knew it, he had told Kotone about his love for tennis, his training in kendo, his practice in calligraphy, his family and their occupations, and now his childhood memories with Yukimura.

"What a shame," the older sibling said with genuine concern. She clicked her tongue. "For a gifted boy, it's a shame he became ill. The world is filled with ironies. Those who deserve a healthy body and mind are forced to face some adversary. And of course, those known as the lucky ones flaunt and abuse their gifts…" The last words were spoken bitterly before her smile returned. "I don't mean to generalize the public. It is just how I've come to view the world."

He found himself shaking his head. Although he shared more about himself than he preferred, Kotone definitely had a way with words, and he didn't mind her opinions. On top of it all, she was older than him and had more experience.

She pulled up to his house and cut off the engine. "Is that your nephew? He's cute." Kotone waved to the boy leaning against the doorway.

"Thank you for the ride." Sanada said properly, going as far as bowing to her once he stood outside of the car.

"…no, I should be thanking you, Sanada-kun." She didn't look at him, her head facing forward, though her smile persisted. "Thank you for being Tatsuya's friend."

Frozen on his feet, Sanada stared at her. Why should she be thanking him? Were they what friends really were? They were partners for a single project, really. And didn't she know he was the one that got Aoi involved in a fight? Well, even he couldn't predict that, but he drove her little brother out of the coffee shop in the first place. He still hadn't apologized when it hung on the tip of his tongue.

"He knows you're sorry. Tatsuya may lack the confidence in reading a person's emotions and personality, but he knows. Don't be afraid to show who you really around him."

* * *

Sanada took Kotone's words wholeheartedly. That was accomplished when the vice-captain grabbed Aoi by the scruff and dragged him to the kendo club Monday afternoon. It was in the beginning of tennis practice too, right when the boy came in sight.

"S-Sanada-san… wh-what… what are you doing?!" The purple-haired boy could not resist his iron grip, his eyes widening in fear when they neared the gym.

And even if the boy escaped, the data master came along and would probably stop him. The rest of the regulars were with them too. They were ordered to follow along.

"The kendo club?" the Junior Ace said in his bad temper. It was tennis practice right now. What the hell were they doing here?

Renji supplemented the answer, "'Consider this as practice for reading your opponent'' is what you were going to say, is that right, Geniichirou?"

"How's that supposed to work?"

"Remember that kendo requires absolute concentration. Maybe we can learn something from them."

There was a murmur of agreement, but everyone except for the naïve Kirihara knew there was more to this. Since when did Sanada go this far for an outsider?

Tatsuya was practically pushed inside with Sanada right behind him, blocking his means of escape. Hadn't he already been rejected twice? There was no doubt that there would be a third, and in front of the male he admired too.

"I… This… This really isn't a g-good idea…!"

His protests were unheard as Sanada approached the captain.

The third-year captain regarded him, an eyebrow cocked. "These practices are private." The captain blatantly said, pointing his _shinai_ towards the door. "Get out." When his eyes met Tatsuya's, a smirk curled on his face. "You really a persistent guy, aren't you? Jeez, weak people don't know when to give up. If you're weak, you'll stay weak."

"Fight him, then." Sanada challenged, his arms crossed. "Prove it."

"So that's why you're here? To give this kid false hope?" The captain's laugh rang through the wide room. "This just proves my point. You're fighting his fight although there really wasn't much of one in the first place." His smirk turned cruel at the sight of Tatsuya's shaky disposition. "Besides, haven't you noticed? He has no presence. Who would want a guy like him around?"

Tatsuya felt like shrinking into nothing with each passing insult. Why was Sanada going out of his way? Was this to make up for the weekend? He didn't put anything against him for the fight.

"Then fight him. You can keep sprouting nonsense. That will prove nothing, not until I see it with my own eyes."

Niou blew a low whistle, putting his hands behind his head and smirking at the captain. "Our vice-captain's got a point." With his head directed towards Tatsuya, he said, "You never know what kind of tricks he's got up his sleeve."

"…fine."

A wooden sword was tossed at Tatsuya's feet along with the gear.

"If you can't get a point off of me, then make sure I don't see your face around here again."

Shaky hands picked up the thrown items. Tatsuya swallowed hard for he never imagined this sort of chance. The pressure was on. If he screwed up, then Sanada's efforts would be in vain.

"I-I… I won't lose…"

_Author's Note: Oh hey, a really late and short update! I'm so sorry. ;-; I wrote a one-shot for the Silver Pair in celebration of Shishido's birthday, and then I realized that a few freaking days later it would be Atobe's. I missed that one obviously, so I intend to make it up on December 22, which is Matt's birthday, but I'll make sure it focuses on the both of them._

_I also have a case of writer's block even though I have two research papers to write, pffft. Yeah, partly why I updated so late was due to college. Midterms are coming up, and deadlines are approaching. So please bear with my irregular updates._

_Thanks for keeping up!_


	16. Chapter 15 - Rikkaidai

_**Rikkaidai**_

**15**

"Wh-What the hell…?"

The club captain's eyes widened to the fullest. Deep in its irises resided shock, awe, and – admittedly – fear. His sword had fallen and so had he. A point was taken from him in a matter of seconds. They bowed, and suddenly, Tatsuya was in front of him, aimed at his neck. He had anticipated the attack, yet he could do shit to stop it. Their reaction times differed greatly. Tatsuya was faster.

What disturbed him the most was the aura surrounding the pathetic-looking boy that could not even form a coherent word. It was different. Too different. Where the hell did his hesitant nature go? All the captain got was just the opposite.

"Hm…" Renji looked upon the victorious third-year, his private notebook out and being scribbled in. Though Tatsuya was not a part of the tennis team, something about the state he was in interested him. There persisted a similarity to Kirihara's Devil Mode, except Tatsuya was in a completely opposite state – calm and controlled rather than violent and unstable. How there was such a similarity was beyond him, for the moment. "It's difficult to observe when the headgear is in place…"

"There is nothing to research. He won." Sanada promptly said, a faint smile on his lips. He had made the right decision in intervening. The boy still had a long way to go in terms of mental strength, but if the vice-captain had to be the push he needed, then he would gladly be it.

"Puri."

The volley specialist yawned for the win was anticlimactic in his eyes. "Hardly lasted for ten seconds though…"

"Thanks for the match…" The purple-haired boy bowed respectfully.

"No fucking way!"

"That was luck!"

"The captain was going easy!"

"Play a full match!"

The rest of the team began to yell in outrage. Most were in denial of the fact. They had witnessed their captain lose for the first time. It was clear how similar their mindset was to their captain's. They hated being proven wrong.

One would expect Tatsuya to tremble and apologize profusely, but he didn't and stood his ground. The golden determination in his eyes was there.

"I can keep going… if you wish…"

"Fine by me!" shouted one of the members. "Your opponent will be me!"

"Stop!" boomed Sanada's voice. He was beside Tatsuya and took the sword of his hands. Although he would like to see another display of his abilities, taking on the entire club was not what they came here for. "Your captain lost. Accept the defeat and allow him to join."

Almost immediately, the fierceness melted away in the boy's eyes, and he looked uneasily at him. From where he stood, Sanada with a wooden sword appeared very formidable. He knew how practiced he was in kendo after witnessing his tennis style. It still amazed him whenever he used a move.

Many of the males backed off when Sanada suddenly became their opponent. Were they thinking the same as Tatsuya? That Sanada would be a tough adversary? Most likely, yes, when each of them exchanged discomforting looks.

It saddened the purple-haired boy somewhat, his eyes falling to the mats under their feet. He remembered how important it was to be a leader, and yet, he couldn't accomplish what the capped teen could. Again, came the question: why did the vice-captain go out of his way for him?

"He's not weak! He has more respect and discipline compared to you and the rest of your club!"

'_Sanada-san… is praising me…?'_

Looking up, he saw the vice-captain in a heated argument with the kendo captain. Raw determination was evident. So Sanada really did mean what he said… warmth spread through his body at that. The sudden feelings were unfamiliar to him when most of his life consisted of insults and names. There were rarely any _genuine_ remarks about his good side.

Immediately, he shook his head. _'No, no, no…! Don't get ahead of yourself! It doesn't mean anything!'_

"Are you alright, Aoi-kun?" The data master spoke up from beside him though his eyes weren't on the boy.

"_H-Hai_… I'm… well, I-I didn't expect Sa-Sanada-san to go this far…"

"In light of what happened on Friday, I believe he wants to make it up to you. Also…" He began to muse, "I don't think realizes that he admires you as well."

"Hah… How do you know…?"

"I've known him for years. I can predict his emotions before they become evident. Without realizing it, he practically declared himself someone he would look up to. Considering that he knew of you in the past with your championship, he has held some respect for you. Statistically, I would say it's 74%."

Tatsuya's lip quivered while the rest of his body heated up to abnormal temperatures. No doubt he was sweating by now. He was flattered and terrified all at once. They were friends… sort of, so why was he getting this flustered?

Eventually, after more loud words and fervent hand gestures, Sanada approached them with a satisfied expression. He noticed the blush on Aoi's cheeks but soon found that reaction as normal. He had gotten used to seeing them.

"You're to report to the afternoon practices now."

"R-Really?!" Aoi's head shot up. "I… I… h-how can I repay you, Sanada-san?"

"You play to your fullest."

He rested a broad hand on his shoulder as a way of support. But for the young and fierce dragon, the effect was much different. The boy's heart began to pound unreasonably louder and harder than usual. His golden eyes stared at Sanada earnestly, their eyes meeting. Maybe it was him, but the lighting seemed different. It was almost as though light was radiating from the vice-captain.

And that was when he knew he had fallen for him. It didn't matter that they were only fourteen and young or that he had recently discovered his sexuality. Both his body and mind knew. Tatsuya was in love.

Bowing his head slightly, he spoke in a small voice, "I will…"

Renji watched the display before him. He couldn't exactly call it affection, but it seemed like it. He jotted down a few predictions for he saw something unfold before his eyes. Originally, he had expected a close relationship like how Sanada and Yukimura were, but the possibility of something further came into account. Research needed to be done. This was the first time he had seen a _male_ fall for the vice-captain.

* * *

"Okay… calm down… no, Tatsuya, that's not calm."

Tenka sighed, exasperated, while running his fingers through his red hair. He held his phone a few millimeters from his ear because his friend's words were slowly turning into shouted statements.

"S-S-S-Sorry!"

"Breathe…" Tenka took deep breaths, so Tatsuya would follow suit. Deciding that the anxious boy was calm enough, he said, "Now tell me what exactly you felt."

"It's… it was weird… my heart felt like bursting and I've never felt this h-hot before… he l-looked… different…?"

"You sound more confused. You know, this is why they call it young love. It's probably just a phase." He waved a hand although the boy wouldn't be there to see it. The gesture was habitual when his point needed to be emphasized.

"Th-Then… then why did he glow…?"

The redhead coughed awkwardly through the receiver, successfully covering up a laugh. That had to be a joke, right? That shit didn't happen in real life. "Alright, if you really think you feel something for him."

"I do…"

"Then wait it out. Act like normal and see if those feelings fleet or not."

"O-Okay…"

"Good because I don't want you getting your heart broken at a young age."

There was a soft chuckle on the other end. "Tenka-san… we're th-the same age…"

"You and Matt worry the hell out of me. …don't tell him I said that."

"I won't…"

After that there was no more talk of love. They spoke about school life, updating each other on their lives. Once Tenka hung up, he let out another sigh while slumping in his chair. He felt drained. Talking about romance had that effect on him, especially when he never truly experienced it himself. In a sense, he was envious that Tatsuya could feel it even if it was possibly intense admiration. Sounded genuine at least.

And speaking of romance… the redhead reflected on the week and the following weekend. Oshitari had been avoiding him ever since he revealed his bisexuality, which really didn't surprise him. But what did surprise him was that wasn't the reason for his avoidance. Hell, it had no effect on him. That wasn't right… what was on Oshitari's mind that seemed more important than his blatant desire for both guys and girls? Did the redhead have to reveal all of his secrets to get his attention? Or was Matt that interesting of a topic to research on?

As arrogant as it sounded, Tenka still couldn't fathom it. Why would someone be obsessed with knowing another person? It was becoming evident with each passing day. Now it was up to the redhead to stop him. He hoped it would come to an end when Oshitari would have to spend that day with him.

Opening his phone and finding the _tensai_'s name, he called it.

* * *

Sanada walked towards the cafeteria after completing a scroll of calligraphic symbols. His hands were still stained with ink, much to his chagrin. He should have enough experience by now not to get any on him. But it wasn't his fault that Renji decided to ask him if he was gay mid-stroke.

Seeing his stained hands again, he shot the data master another glare.

"I apologize, but my curiosity was piqued."

The temptation to speak sarcastically was there, but Sanada refrained. He entered the hall and found Kirihara and Tatsuya at the same table. Together, the two friends approached – Sanada taking a seat next to the third-year while Renji sat next to the second-year.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the boy flinch a little ways from him. Before he could question it, Tatsuya began to speak.

Conscious of Sanada's gaze, he stuttered out, "K-Kirihara-kun… is… is something on your m-mind?"

Kirihara stared intently at Tatsuya. The same process had been going on for the past three days with Kirihara staring, muttering under his breath some obscurities, and then going back to staring. It seemed to be a normal routine of his for neither Marui nor Jackal did anything about him. The stares were truly getting to him.

"I don't get it," he said aloud with a puzzled expression.

"G-G-… Get what…?"

"Why Renji says we're similar." The Junior Ace shook his head at his _senpai_. "There's no way we can be similar. Your confidence sucks." His back instantly straightened at his own words, especially at the glare of his vice-captain. "N-No offense!"

"Um…" Tatsuya didn't know what to say. He supposed he liked Kirihara, but only this side of him when he wasn't trying to bloody someone up. So the insult wasn't taken too harshly. "I-It's fine… but um…"

"Have you ever gotten mad before?"

"W-Well…" He scratched at his cheek and smiled weakly. "A few t-times… yes…"

Now there were three pairs of eyes on him – Sanada, Kirihara, and Renji. He supposed there was no way to avoid an explanation when each pair was eager. He just hoped they didn't see him differently. Thinking to when he did get angry, he just remembered regaining consciousness for he had no memories of it. Or he would but in the form of nightmares. They were no pretty sights.

"I suppose I… I have another s-side to me… _n-nee-chan_ says he's… he's buried deep inside of m-me, cruel and… and violent. I-I don't remember… I don't remember wh-when I get mad, b-but she says I'm still awake."

Kirihara appeared to be contemplating, the corner of his mouth going to the side. "I still don't see it."

Both Sanada and Renji internally groaned. They figured out long ago that the Junior Ace was somewhat conscious of his actions, so he should understand what it was like to be another person. Then again, the boy was naïve…

"If you feel ashamed of it, don't be." Renji spoke out of reassurance. "Every human has his or her flaws. There are also some things that are out of our own control."

Tatsuya nodded, grateful that there were no changes in opinion. He picked up his chopsticks to resume eating.

"It is also a part of you and makes up who you are. If people can't accept it, then they don't know any better."

They almost fell from his fingers at Sanada's words. Tatsuya had never thought of his 'dark' side like that – 'a part of him'. It was somehow enlightening. A faint smile spread on his timid face. "_Ar-Arigato_, Sanada-san…"

The capped teen gave him a simple nod. His eyes snapped up to Renji when he heard a muffled chuckle. What was he thinking? He was only speaking the truth.

_Author's Note: After re-reading this chapter, I feel like my writing isn't as how it was in the beginning chapters. I apologize if it seems crappy. Hopefully, I'll get back into the spirit of things. College has me drained._

_And yeah, it's becoming official that I can only update a chapter a week. There may be a point where I have to go on hiatus, but I will let you all know that later on._

_Oh, it turns out that I have a bunch of pairings in my head that I really want to write out and post. But if I do that, then I doubt I'll be able to update them until I actually get this one to finish. To anyone who actually reads my 'Author's Note', what do you think? I'd appreciate some input._

_Thank you for reading and have a nice day! Or evening...!_


	17. Chapter 16 - Rikkaidai&Hyoutei

_**Rikkaidai/Hyoutei**_

**16**

"Don't you think he's being a little friendly with the manager?" One member of the kendo club murmured to his partner.

"Yeah… _buchou_ isn't going to be happy. He's been trying to get her to go out with him since last year."

The rest of the team murmured in agreement as they watched Tatsuya help carry things for the sought-after manager. They had only met a few minutes before practice and already they seemed to be chummy. It pissed the team off more or less. How could he be friendly with her when she glared at them all the time?

"You make me wish I had an older brother, Tatsuya-kun." Englishwoman Zuri laughed lightly while they set down boxes that contained DVDs of previous tournaments and matches. Slapping her hands together, she smiled at him. "Thanks for the help."

He shook his head. "I-I'm happy t-to help…" As an afterthought, he added, "I… I wouldn't make a… a good _nii-san_."

Tapping her lip, she smiled at him. "Well, you don't know that for sure, do you?" She turned towards the shamelessly watching kendo members and shook her head at them. With her voice, which was actually deeper than most females, she cried, "Your captain may not be here, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't be sparring! Get to it!"

Tatsuya immediately straightened up and bowed to her. "I-I'll begin sp-sparring!" And just like that he was off to get changed and get out on the mats.

Zuri blinked as he scrambled away. She leaned over to the side and placed her hand on her hip, a soft smile came to her. "I wasn't yelling at you…"

Throughout practice, it seemed as though all forty-some members of the club had sparred with the shy third-year. Tatsuya knew it wasn't because he was once known as the fierce and young dragon. It was because he was known as the guy who beat their captain. And they were seeking revenge.

By the end of the day, they were dismissed for home. Tatsuya removed his mask, sweaty and panting. He had straight matches and only three or four breaks in between. Though he had been through tough training before, it always strained him when he faced opponents who actually had the intent to do more than win but to destroy.

'_Was this how Matt-san felt when he played tennis? People only played him so they could beat him… that's not how any sport should be played… we're supposed to have fun, aren't we?'_

He remembered the times when he did not have fun as a kid, but that was only because of the number of competitions he was forced into. Afterwards, when he earned a little freedom, his love for the way of the sword revitalized.

'_I don't know about you, but I say that swords are meant for violence. If you think about it, it's in our blood to fight right down the core. To fight, to kill, to survive… yeah, that's what we humans are born to do. Now it's just dumbed down to meager competitions with petty trophies. But back then, you fought to live.'_

The boy immediately shook his head from side to side in an attempt to be rid of the negative thoughts. Whenever that happened, he supposed his darker nature took over and fed him those kinds of ideas. He could never be sure when it was his voice that spoke in his head, just bloodthirsty. It was a constant battle, trying to stay in his good nature and suppressing what was fighting to break free. After telling Sanada, Renji, and Kirihara about that other side of him, Tatsuya feared that he had inadvertently triggered it.

"Tatsuya-" Suddenly, a hand grabbed his shoulder.

"WAH!"

The purple-haired boy nearly jumped out of his skin, his entire frame went stiff.

"Hey, hey, I'm not going to kill you!" Zuri's voice spoke to him, raised and faintly appalled. Muttering under her breath, she said, "I'm not that scary of a bitch…"

"S-S-Sorry! Sorry!" He turned to her and bowed repeatedly until she had to grab his shoulders and stand him upright. The frightened boy's face was completely red. "S-Sorry…"

"I-It's alright…" She said uneasily, brushing his shoulder even though there was nothing there. To be honest, Zuri wasn't the best with passive people, especially when they apologized so vehemently. "You spaced out earlier. Are you okay?"

Nodding his head vigorously, Tatsuya bowed his head. "J-Just tired…!"

"Okay… um, good…" Now that concerns were out of the way, she asked, "Will you be available at lunch?"

"Y-Yes… w-well…! Um… I'll… I'll be w-with S-S-S-" he winced when he couldn't properly say the capped teen's name. "-Sanada-san a-and Yanagi-san and K-Kirihara-kun."

"Oh, members of the national champion winning tennis club, hm?" mused the honey blonde female. "Do you mind if I join you four then? And… well, if my little brother isn't isolating himself under a tree, can he join as well?"

"Of c-course!"

She gave him a bright smile and bowed to him. "See you tomorrow."

Inside the locker rooms, Tatsuya showered and dressed quickly for he could feel glares on his back while he moved about. He expected them. Still, he couldn't help but feel isolated. The distant feeling he had between himself and his classmates once again returned. In his mind, he hoped that wouldn't be the case now.

He kept brooding over his feelings despite his persistence in avoiding such thoughts. The boy couldn't help himself. That was until he was outside and found, out of all people, Sanada waiting for him with his arms crossed and his tennis bag slung over his shoulder.

Tatsuya stopped, rubbing his eyes just to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. When it really was the vice-captain standing there, giving him a perplexed look, he dashed over to him. "S-Sanada-san, I-I thought you went home al-already… the project… it's done, i-isn't it?"

"We still live in the same direction. Tennis practice finishes around the same time kendo does." Then his small brown eyes glanced to the side before he added, "We're friends."

"R-R-Right!" A small smile glowed on his face. He admittedly found it funny how Sanada called them friends, like he wasn't used to proclaiming that sort of relationship. He supposed Sanada showed friendship through his actions rather than his words. "How... how was tennis practice?"

They began walking towards the school gate, the conversation revolved around tennis and kendo. That put Tatsuya at ease, especially when he rarely got the chance to even talk about something as normal as his day. The topics were usually personal or emotional, not at all _normal_. The boy needed to get used to that aspect now since he felt there would be more casual conversations later on.

Tenka's advice from last night nagged him, so Tatsuya had to be somewhat cautious. Maybe Sanada didn't swing that way, or maybe this was _just_ a friendship.

Fearful of heartbreak more than anything, Tatsuya silently thought, _'I can live with that…'_

* * *

Matt wanted to jump up out of happiness regardless of the cast hampering such actions. He left the hospital knowing that he could take the cast off by the end of the week. Even though the doctor was flabbergasted that his leg healed in a short time of three weeks, it would finally be off.

"Yup… you're a cat," were the first words Akriel said to him when Matt relayed the news when he returned to the car.

The silver-haired boy froze and then glowered. What was it with the feline references?

The Frenchman chuckled. Taking note of his godson's expression, he explained, "A cat's purr is known to promote healing and increase bone density."

"I'm not a _cat_. And I don't purr!" Matt plopped into the passenger seat and clicked the seatbelt into place. He exhaled sharply. "I don't even get why Atobe calls me _neko-chan_ all the time. I'm not a girl…"

"Well… if you want my honest opinion…"

"Hell no, your honest opinion is based on your sexual experience."

Akriel chuckled again, driving down the street. "You should tell Tenka about the good news along with Tatsuya. You had them worried."

"This isn't the first time I've broken my leg by falling out of a two-story building. Also that's where I am unlike a cat. I can't land on my feet."

"And yet, that never stopped you from trying."

Matt rolled his silver eyes, taking out his cell phone and sending messages to his close friends. He sent one to Choutarou too.

Unexpectedly, the second-year sent back a reply in a matter of seconds.

"_That's great, Matt-san! But the removal is when we have our match with Seigaku. Maybe you should let Atobe-san know…"_

The boy winced at Atobe's name. Though Choutarou had a point, he wasn't looking forward to telling Atobe about it. He shouldn't be worrying though. It meant he could tell Atobe to stop being his personal chauffer. Then why did worry continue to nag him?

"Did Tenka say something unsavory?" inquired the boy's godfather after noticing his conflicted expression.

"No… I…" Matt couldn't exactly come up with the right words to explain what he was feeling- relief that he could walk where he wanted but at the same time anxiety for what Atobe had to say. "…I just realized that I have to tell Atobe that I don't need any more rides. I'll be missing the tennis match too."

This was supposed to be the part where Akriel teased him. It really was a golden opportunity, except that was actually far from the eighteen-year-old's thoughts. He thought carefully about the weeks Atobe gave Matt rides. At first, Matt came home irritated over the usual crap like Atobe's self-centered attitudes and his flamboyance. Then as the days passed on, Matt admitted they had conversations here and there about stuff they both could understand or could relate to. Akriel didn't forget about his godson's responsibilities as a manager. It surprised him that Matt even agreed to become one; over the past few years, the boy refused to do anything tennis-related. Now he actually sounded disappointed he would be missing Hyoutei's match.

Akriel had his doubts about Atobe before, but the rich heir had unwittingly broken through and became a sort of companion to his beloved godson. He remembered the day Matt admitted they were friends and then adding that it was in some twisted, nonsensical way. Matt really had trouble admitting who he accepted into his life.

The best advice he could give the boy was, "You two are friends, aren't you? Call him when we get home. I doubt you can convey what you need to say through texts."

* * *

Later that evening, Atobe exited his bathroom with the steam trailing behind him, a towel wrapped about his waist and another in his hair. With a satisfied sigh, he sauntered to his bed where his sleepwear was laid out for him. Next to the silken clothes was his phone.

Just as he reached for his trousers, the phone chimed that it had received a voicemail. Oh, that wasn't good. Voicemails meant something important needed to be addressed. It was late for the captain, especially when training for the upcoming battle with Seigaku and his rival, Tezuka, had been exhausting.

But being the good king he was, he picked it up and would at least acknowledge who left a message. It surprised him that not only a single voicemail was left, but also four missed calls from the same person.

"_Neko-chan_…?"

It was rare for the boy to use his phone, much less call him. Curiosity got the better of him since Matthew did act normal throughout the day. Actually, he did seem into helping Choutarou improve his Scud Serve and into advising Gakuto how to do more precise flips. Regardless of the fact, he wondered what was so urgent that he needed to be called. Maybe the boy finally understood that he was someone worth calling.

With a beep, Atobe listened to the message in the silver-haired boy's rushed speech:

"Atobe? Uh… okay, I guess you're not available at the moment… A-Anyway, I wanted to let you know that I'm getting my cast removed. The problem is it's on the day of the tournament. Luckily, it's in the morning, so I'm sure I can make it to the last two matches. On a more… important topic, I… I guess I won't be needing you to pick me up for school. This is the last week… so… so er…"

There was a loud clatter in the background, and the boy's voice sounded farther away though he groaned loudly.

"Lucie, not my contacts! Shit…"

And then there were a few beeps, which signaled that the message had ended. Rubbing the towel harder into his hair, Atobe grunted and tossed his phone onto the bed. The boy brought up a good point about the rides. It seriously bothered him that Matt hadn't finished his train of thought and that he wouldn't be needed. In all honesty, the boy's company was actually a good one. Matthew was intelligent and could keep up with his topics. That wasn't the only reason, but it was a good damn one. He couldn't entertain himself with the fact that the boy sounded flustered and almost shy.

The towel was removed with a flutter and unceremoniously dropped onto the floor although he hated making a mess. In his chagrin, he realized he needed to call the boy back.

Atobe snatched it up, called back, and pressed the earpiece hard against his ear. For some reason, his mind was racing. What was he calling the boy back for again? He could have simply waited for the following morning to have a proper conversation, not an unprepared one!

Before he could reconsider and hang up, Matthew's voice spoke on the other end, "Hello? Atobe?"

"…be ready in ten minutes. I'm picking you up."

Without even considering the boy's reaction, he hung up and went to his wardrobe, throwing open the doors with a bang. Undergarments, a shirt, and pants were grabbed. They were careless choices too since Atobe didn't even notice if they clashed or not. He could not wait.

_Author's Notes: Yeahhh… Atobe is being out of character here… this chapter is so jumbled up in my eyes, but it gets the plot (that I don't even think exists) rolling, right?_

_Another disclaimer is Zuri is another original character of mine. She sort of has a use in here to get the plot going between Tatsuya and Sanada. I think it's pretty obvious as cliché as it is..._

_And yeah… a short 'Author's Notes' from me for once. …actually, no, I lied. One more thing is I am writing a sort of Halloween AU in the spirit of the holiday. Well, it's not really about Halloween because it went from me writing about Atobe being a vampire and Matt being his victim to a wacky spin-off of Beauty and the Beast. It will be multi-chaptered, but will not be updated as frequently as this story._

_Thanks for being patient and happy reading!_


End file.
